Capturing the spirit of a music school and the comfort of a building

Saint Paul Conservatory of Music Spring Rhapsody 2015 from audrey favorito on Vimeo.

How do you capture the essence of a music school in a video? The faculty, students, hard work and flow of notes? In the case of theSaint Paul Conservatory of Music (SPCM), the essence of the school is interconnected with the historic building they call home.

For nine years I’ve been privileged to be part of the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music family. When Executive Artistic Director Cléa Galhano approached me to create a video to raise awareness about the outreach the school does in the community, I jumped at the chance.  Together we crafted a piece that serves to entertain, inform and hint at what’s so special about the school.

POIGNANT VOICE OF A STUDENT
When possible, I like to use the voices of youth in my work. SPCM violin student Beth Fyxell wrote a short essay about her experience with the school that was published in The Saint Paul Almanac. For the open of the video, we adapted her prose for the screen, recorded her voice and shot a sequence to capture her affection for the building.  “…the door creaks closed and you get a sense of loneliness, missing the comfort of the building,” she says. 

The comfort of a building. I believe we've all experienced that feeling in our lives, but probably never put it into words like that. Thank you Beth, we identify.  Especially those of us who have squeezed into that tiny elevator with mirrors on the walls...

The historic Exchange Building was once home to an order of Catholic nuns. Years ago, the Mother Superior put in a tiny elevator lined with mirrors. Still operational, the elevator offers a cozy ride for 2 musicians and their violins. My son and I often have a race. He takes the stairs and I ride the elevator. He usually wins!