In Thursday’s (8/11) Standard-Times (New Bedford, Massachusetts), Christina Hickman profiles David Prentiss, head of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra: “What do you get when you mix a music lover with an avid cyclist? Well, the Tour de Beethoven, of course. On Saturday, David Prentiss, president and CEO of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, is heading out on a 150-mile fundraising bike ride through SouthCoast communities. When the NBSO recently raised $225,000 to put towards its concerts and educational programming, Prentiss couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the accomplishment and continue to spread the word. … Q: What are you going to be doing on the ride? A: It’s going to vary a little bit. Some of the trustees and friends of the symphony want to ride with me for part of the way, so they’ll be meeting up with me. I have these iPod speakers for my bike. I’m going to put the last 10 concerts of the symphony into a playlist, so while I’m riding to promote the symphony, I’m going to actually be playing it. … Q: Why is it so important to make music accessible? A: Music is one of those universal things. It enriches us, it comforts us, it invigorates us. … I feel so lucky that it’s actually my job to bring music into the community. Everything is better with music, and the more music we can bring into people’s lives, especially for kids, the better it will be for them.”
David Prentiss photo: John Sladewski/The Standard-Times
Posted August 11, 2011
