Behind the scenes at All-City

“At measure…ah, great! The whole bass section,” says the conductor as a young man carrying a double bass walks up to the stage. “Yes. Really hit it. You’re on four, right? And the celli” — he looks at them — “the and of four. Good? Here we go. Four, one, two, and, yes, good,” he says, “okay,” and cuts them off, while the player takes his place.

“And we’re starting at 11:45, not 12. I know it’s tough for some of you who have a ways to get here, but 11:45, okay? Violins,” he turns, not allowing one moment of silence, “your spot again.” They play 16th-note fiddle music, deedle-deedle-dee. Aaron Copland’s music is attractive, but it’s hard, even for professionals.

And this is high school. Everyone calls the All Philadelphia High School Music Festival, running since the 1940s, “All-City.” Don Liuzzi has been the the music director since 2005, and he’s conducting Copland’s "Lincoln Portrait" at a strings-only rehearsal at Girls’ High at Broad and Olney. A few weeks until the concert, he’s bearing down.

To the cellos: “No excuses." They laugh when he imitates a whine. “‘I’m tired. My cello stinks.’ You have a bow? Use it.” He steps in their direction. “More sound! Daaah…Da-DAAHH!”

From the Orchestra to Mr. Rogers

They hit it again. Liuzzi leaves his music stand and walks closer, “Come onn.” He holds his left fist up while conducting with his right, crouching in like a boxer, and now at the back of the section, where some aren’t used to being this close to the conductor, he lets out a “HAH!” Violinists flinch. The cellos stick it, Baaah…BA-BAAHH. “That’s it!”

Cut-off. “You’re a good section. I know it.” Their faces turn up to his. “Bring it.”

Don Liuzzi is the timpanist of The Philadelphia Orchestra; he also teaches at the Curtis Institute and produced the Philadelphia Orchestra documentary Music from the Inside Out. He has a lifelong love of working with kids. He’s conducted youth orchestras and led master classes around the world. He played marimba once on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

“He has a huge heart,” a teacher whispers during rehearsal. “He gets instruments for kids, gets lessons paid for. People don’t realize.” Liuzzi arranges partnerships with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, Curtis, Musicopia, and individual donors.

“I was in All-City when I was in high school,” he says during a break. “These students need this. The School District…the City needs this.”

Silent music

With the violins, the Copland fiddle runs are still muddy. “Hear the 16ths in your head. DAgadaga, DAgadaga, no.…Seconds,” to the Second Violin section. “By yourselves.” The kids on stage are already quiet — playing music together teaches you that — but now there’s complete silence.

Softly: “One. Two. Three. And.” They play, not badly. But the longer it goes, the more it wobbles. Some go faster, a common mistake. He starts snapping his fingers on the beat, but the wheels are falling off.

“Okay.” He sweeps his arm, they peter to a stop. He allows some silence to sink in for once. Nobody moves.

“You think you can’t do it.” It’s almost a question. They’re frustrated. “You think it’ll still be this hard next Saturday? Come on. You’ll get this.” A few shy smiles appear.

“Here’s what we’re gonna do. Left hand only.” They’ll finger the notes on the violin, but not use the bow, just feel the pulse into their fingers. Some of the waiting basses start shuffling their stances. Liuzzi doesn’t look at them but holds a hand up. “Basses.” They stop.

“Okay. Now.” Downbeat, and their left-hand fingers dance over the strings. The auditorium is still. After a long time, seeming longer for the silence, they reach the end. “Now. With the bow.” Deedle-deedle-dee, they start, beautiful 16ths. They keep going, solid, staying together, deedle-deedle-dee, some straying but quickly locking back in, fiddlers in unison, going up, down, deedle-deedle-dee, finishing smooth, together.

Victory

Silence. Everyone looks at the director, whose hands, in the air, are motionless. “Woo-HOO!” A girl’s voice rings out from the firsts. “Yeah!” from a bass, and all the musicians — on this stage they’re not kids, but musicians — break into cheers. The seconds look at each other and smile.

“Okay,” says Liuzzi, giving the victory its moment. “Good.” But there will be two and a half hours more at Broad and Olney today. He glances at his score. “Everybody, measure one seventy-three, one seven three….”

The Philadelphia All-City Orchestra will perform at the Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St, Philadelphia, on March 10th at 7:30pm. Tickets will be available to the public at the door on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 7:15pm.