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Get to know Sam Brewer, GBH’s newly appointed General Manager of Music

Posted on October 23, 2024 by The Sleepless Critic

Music is the foundation for so many amazing aspects of life.

As GBH’s newly appointed Head of Music, Sam Brewer discusses music’s remarkable impact and how he started in the industry. He also shares where to listen to live concerts around Boston after work for free, insight into GBH’s extraordinary studios, and the revolutionary ways GBH is connecting artists to viewers and listeners.

Sleepless Critic: Just to clarify, GBH’s Head of Music primarily covers classical and jazz music?

Sam Brewer: Yes, it is the jazz and classical team. GBH Music is a multi-platform production team housed inside GBH with twelve full time and almost as many part time employees. Our biggest commitment and what everyone knows us for is CRB Classical 99.5 Boston. CRB produces over 50 broadcasts a year and we have a live concert every single week from Symphony Hall or Tanglewood. That includes concerts from the Boston Pops too.

General Manager of GBH Music Sam Brewer Photo by Meredith Nierman/GBH

We also program Jazz on 89.7 FM on the weekends and weekend overnights. For the past five years, we’ve had a series of about eight GBH Music Presents concerts at the Fraser Performance Studio or Calderwood Studio here at GBH. In person, streaming, and recorded performances are used on other platforms. Obviously they stream and may end up as an In Concert production.

Classical.org is the website for the radio station and a rich source of multimedia content about classical music, social media channels, and two newsletters which is one on jazz and one on classical and so much more.

From the GBH music perspective, we recently launched GBH Jazz Nights which are once a month performances at the GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square. We’ve teamed up with JazzBoston to present jazz music the second Thursday of every month from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. It’s a free event and we want to capture people after work to stop by for an hour or two and get a beer and listen to music. It’s really to raise the profile of everything that we are doing in jazz. For the past few years we have done these studio jazz shows about four a year and we are looking have four again in the spring. We’ll have four in the spring to help us build up an audience, the excitement, and the anticipation for that and we feature a great lineup of performers.

Beyond December, we will be looking at a series of jazz performances at Fraser Performance Studio. Fraser is gorgeous and really the jewel of the production facilities at GBH. Antonio Oliart is our recording engineer on the GBH Music Team and he had a hand in designing the space and it’s his home along with Téa Mottolese who is our other recording engineer.

Antonio recorded an album at Fraser with violinist Hilary Hahn which was just named the Gramophone record of the year. It’s a huge honor and I think he’s won three or four Grammys from records he’s produced in that space. We host a lot of these GBH jazz and classical music events at Fraser and you’re really sitting with maybe 90 or 100 people in a multi-camera shoot in an acoustically perfect music space.

Ulysses Quartet perform at an event celebrating the leadership of Tony Rudel, General Manager GBH Music on October 1, 2024 at GBH Headquarters in Brighton, Mass. Photo by Meredith Nierman/GBH

The Boston Symphony Chamber Players came and recorded this beautiful video show in Fraser and then we streamed. It was in person and it will also become a radio broadcast in a week or two. Somebody came up to me after the performance and told me they have known this musician their whole life and have never seen this person up close playing like this.

SC: Oh, I love those experiences.

SB: That’s the real benefit of this space. You get a sort of intimacy with the music that you don’t really get in any other venue in Boston because of the size and how it is structured. It’s also how we host shows. Brian McCreath, the host of the BSO broadcasts, hosted this program. He’s a proxy for the audience and brings the audience into the stories behind the music in such a unique way.

SC: We know each other from the Boston Pops. What piqued your interest from the Boston Pops to make the transition over to GBH? I know it all starts with classical music.

SB: That’s a great question. I was a publicist at the BSO for about 10 years and started at the box office selling tickets. I was just looking for the next step in my career and there’s such a crossover between the GBH audience and the Boston Symphony audience and in an effort to sort of promote other types of content and other stories, I was drawn to the work in public media and found a happy home for the last six years working quite closely with the newsroom here. Of course the GBH Music team was my other main client here and pulled it back into the beauty, power and the rich, artistic life of classical music and jazz. That’s how I found myself working even more closely with the GBH Music Team.

SC: You must also find yourself working with some famous musicians. Which particular person stands out for you that you couldn’t believe you were working with them?

SB: There are countless people, but recently opera bass-baritone Davóne Tines. We had someone scheduled for the Getting into Opera program and it was a wonderful event open to the public. We are eventually going to turn it into a series for YouTube. We’ve done two of these before and we have another one coming up. We unfortunately lost the soprano who was scheduled to host this master class. The concept here is people get into opera by seeing how great vocal performances are shaped. So it’s a master class between a master teacher and a student.

The star soprano who was supposed to lead the performance had to cancel about 36 hours before. Davóne Tines came in and I had the opportunity to pick him up in a car and drive him over quickly before the performance was about to begin.

I was blown away how even at the last minute, he wanted to reshape what we were doing to put the artists in the center and focus on them as humans and people before he got to hear them sing or work with them as a coach. So, there are countless examples of artists I have met and been star struck or really moved by, but this one recently is just one of the benefits everyone on this team has which are these really close encounters with musicians as people and then get to share their stories with broader audiences. It’s of interest to any type of consumer of any media, but I think music in particular because it can be abstract and one of things we specialize in is sharing an artist’s story behind the music.

SC: How do you think your prior experience has prepared you for what you are doing now?

SB: Two of the trends in my career have been music and communications and I think they will be thoroughly employed in this role. Being so new to it, I can already tell one of the real joys of this role is working with all the people on this team. I think anyone in a leadership position is responsible for supporting the team’s work. It is really exciting to come to work every day with people who are ready to pitch new and creative ideas and try to find ways for those little seeds of ideas to grow to support the work of a lot of creative professionals. So, I suppose having a lot of experience as a communicator, in public relations, and then in public media has put me in a good position to help the team bring all this creativity to the forefront and to find things that resonate with audiences. I’m excited to see how we can keep growing this incredible foundation here.

SC: Music is the connection to everything.

SB: I agree with you.

SC: Speaking of which, what is your favorite music and kinds of artists you like to listen to for GBH?

SB: I think from a very early age, I’ve always loved orchestral music. I will just say broadly classical music encompassing classical, romantic, and baroque. We play on CRB Classical 99.5 over 500 years of this incredible compendium of artistic styles. It’s just so easy to get deeply lost in it and imagine your own stories.

It’s funny because I have certainly listened to all sorts of music. My wife and I went to the Weezer concert in Boston. It was great fun, but I also had this experience where we were all the way up in the nosebleed section. I don’t know what the capacity of TD Garden about 20,000 and it was a wonderful performance and I was thinking if I can just get one percent of these people to turn on CRB and find this intentional listening experience in the genres we promote, I think everyone would grow so tremendously. A lot of what we program on this station is intentional to capture people who find a familiar sound in what we do and discover that they like classical music. For example, Renaissance pieces that would be four minutes long and to someone who is just tuning in, it could sound like a folk song. There could be an energy to Telemann perfect for driving down the road. I’ve always loved orchestral music. The challenges and the fun of this role is to just to find people in this vast swath of people and find out who might want to come and join us and be part of this tribe.

SC: Classical is the foundation of so many other genres of music. The epic Clair de Lune is a famous classical piece you know that you don’t know that you know.

SB: I agree with you and I think there is also a willingness that there wasn’t ten or fifteen years ago to cross between genres and like what they hear without knowing what the label is. I just find there is a tremendous opportunity to turn more people into classical music and such growth potential there. I’m glad we’re focused on that central part of it and our goal is just to spread that out and make people fall in love with it.

One of CRB’s next events will be the GBH Music Holiday Spectacular taking place at Calderwood Studio. Be the first to learn about GBH’s upcoming music events through classical newsletter The Note and GBH’s Jazz newsletter.

REVIEW: Teatro Chelsea’s ‘Fade’ a tense cautionary tale

Posted on July 10, 2024 by The Sleepless Critic

Tanya Saracho’s Fade proves the daily grind should always contain some chic choreography.

Accented by Desiree Salvo’s multicolored and club-inspired lighting and Armando Rivera’s intense and Latin-inspired upbeat rhythms, two people energetically tackle their workday. These eclectic and lively dance breaks provide a clever reprieve and gradually become more meaningful afterhours inside a television station where drama takes a front seat.

Directed thoughtfully by Armando Rivera with playful chorography designed by Movement Director Audrey Johnson, Teatro Chelsea presented Tanya Saracho’s Fade live and in person at Chelsea Theatre Works through Sunday, June 30. Though it is not necessary to understand both Spanish and English to enjoy this production, those who understood some of the dialogue in Spanish have a bit of an advantage. This partially bilingual show was approximately 100 minutes with no intermission and contained explicit language. Click here for more information and for more on Teatro Chelsea’s upcoming performances.

Luz Lopez and Cristhian Mancinas-Garcia in Teatro Chelsea’s ‘Fade’ Photo by Elainy Mata

The intimate manner in which the audience is situated offers a uniquely exclusive peek into Rivera’s detailed set design complete with commercial carpet, notes scribbled on a white board, a personalized bulletin board and functioning office equipment. Fade turns the tables a bit to focus on an individual who is not necessarily a likable figure. Mexican-born novelist Lucia (Lus-sea-a), portrayed with fiery anxiousness by Luz Lopez, is the new scriptwriter at a television station and is not quite sure where to begin. When Lucia meets quiet yet observant Mexican-American custodian Abel (A-bell) in an absorbing portrayal by Cristhian Mancinas-Garcia, she seemingly sees a like minded individual, but they soon realize that they are not exactly on a united front.

Lucia, feeling under qualified and insecure, is chatty, nosy, and opinionated as she rants about how unfair life has been for her living in California. She is anxious about success and blames everyone but her own abilities for the work she has done. To some points, she is justified working in a primarily white male environment. She jumps to conclusions, is a sneaky rule breaker and hotheaded while Abel is mysterious, reserved and reluctant to speak with her. However, their conversations progress from awkward to tense as focused, humble, and patient Abel cannot help but politely comply as Lucia uses guilt and pressure in order to have her way.

Lopez delivers a convincing and bold portrayal as Lucia who would be easy to sympathize with if she was more respectful of Abel’s wishes. Lopez’s Lucia is dramatic, persuasive, and a clear spark exists between her and Mancinas-Garcia as Abel. Mancinas-Garcia’s Abel is an immediately sympathetic character, forthright, and brutally honest which seems to be good for Lopez’s Lucia. However, delving into everything from family to politics and everything in between, things get complicated the more they learn about each other.

Cristhian Mancinas-Garcia and Luz Lopez in Teatro Chelsea’s ‘Fade’ Photo by Elainy Mata

Luz Lopez and Armando Rivera make a visually compelling statement in Lucia’s clothing which reflects her gradual character transformation from low key basic attire to lavish and flattering accented with a patterned scarf while Mancinas –Garcia’s Abel’s uniform remains the same.

There lies a twist in this tale and it is startling even if it is one you might see coming. A tense workplace drama tempered by some comedic and upbeat flair, Fade tackles many topics including intuition, integrity and where you place your trust.

REVIEW: Season 5 of WGBH’s ‘Sing That Thing!’ still packs a vocal punch

Posted on April 12, 2019 by The Sleepless Critic

Maybe there was a moment watching American Idol or The Voice where that person auditioning is a friend, acquaintance, or just familiar somehow. Perhaps it’s a moment of six degrees of separation where suddenly Kelly Clarkson, Lionel Richie, or Katy Perry are not so out of reach now that the person you know knows them.

Now imagine how much likelier that might happen watching WGBH’s popular local singing competition, Sing that Thing! kicking off its fifth season on Friday, April 12 on WGBH 2. Composed of eighteen dynamic choral ensembles over this season from Boston and beyond, each group competes by creating a unique vocal performance within variety of music genres as coaches decide who will make it to the next round and give feedback on their performances. Click here for further details.

Divided into three categories consisting of adult, high school, and college, the coaches measure on factors such as visual performance, musicality, intonation, and projection during the course of eight episodes. Expect less of the Hollywood glitz and glamour and much more insight into what it truly takes to deliver a thrilling performance.

Sing that Thing’s Season five coaches include Anthony Trecek-King, President and Artistic Director of the Boston Children’s Chorus, Jared Bowen, Executive Arts Editor at WGBH and host of Open Studio, and Annette Phillip, vocalist and creative director of Women of the World and Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music.

From L to R: Coaches Anthony Trecek-King, Annette Phillip, and Jared Bowen Photo credit to Meredith Nierman/WGBH

Sing that Thing’s season five premiere returns to its roots in a way by showcasing a couple of talented groups from its first season. Season one returning champs Boston Arts Academy Spirituals competes with The Zumbyes from Amherst College also featured on the first season. Univoz Vocal Ensemble also joins the competition, making their debut on the show with original compositions. Sing that Thing! offers a peek into how these ensembles prepare to perform and get ready for their sheer energy! Whether singing a tender ballad or a resounding hymn, these sophisticated and lively ensembles are the real deal.

Click here for more on Sing that Thing’s new season starting on Friday, April 12 at 8 pm on WGBH 2. This program can also be seen on WGBX 44, WGBY, New Hampshire PBS, Vermont PBS, Maine Public, and CPTV – Connecticut Public Television. Apply to be a part of Sing that Thing’s sixth season here and catch up on previous episodes here. Find out more about Sing that Thing! on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using #singthatthing.

REVIEW: Inspiring documentary ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor’ more than a beautiful day in the neighborhood

Posted on June 26, 2018 by The Sleepless Critic

“It’s such a good feeling to know we are lifelong friends,” was Mr. Rogers final words as he closed out his show, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, in 2001. However, the impact he has had on the world is timeless.

Though The Sleepless Critic usually tackles the very best in music and theatre, one has to make an exception to express the rare, extraordinary quality in Morgan Neville’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor, a moving, deeply personal documentary which highlights Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, a children’s show that was unconventionally the best in television and ran from 1968 through 2001 on PBS. The film is currently in limited release. Click here for more information and ticket availability.

This is not to say Won’t You Be My Neighbor didn’t explore the power of music. American cellist Yo-Yo Ma appeared on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood at a young age and shared his exceptional musical talent.

Mr. Rogers also used music as a powerful tool to influence his viewers such as with his original song, It’s You I Like. An introvert from childhood, Mr. Rogers often expressed his feelings through music. This inspiring documentary opens with Mr. Rogers offering a metaphor on the piano about life’s difficult transitions. He expressed how easy it may be to get from a C note to a D, but how challenging it is to transition from an F to an F sharp, paralleling the challenges children face growing up. His dedication to children through television offered children support on how to overcome the hardships of life and feel like they have a unique importance in this world.

The film draws from Mr. Rogers’s charisma, which softened the toughest of hearts with his assertion that everyone either had love or lacked it. Through his family members, cast, crew, and some of his adversaries, it is a balanced portrayal of an ordained minister with a simple purpose, a purpose that was not always understood. Nonetheless, Won’t You Be My Neighbor is an important film that has navigated generations of children through grief, assassination, divorce, disabilities, and other hardships, providing glimpses into devastation in recent history such as war, the Challenger tragedy, and 9/11.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor was also not without its own sense of humor from backstage antics to show parodies. However, the best quality of Won’t You Be My Neighbor is, like a good neighbor, Mr. Rogers had a warm smile and an open door, and he genuinely cared. That’s an awful lot of comfort in a troubled world.

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The Academy of the Company Theatre Teen Conservatory will hold auditions for dark comedy, ‘Heathers the Musical’

Posted on May 8, 2017 by The Sleepless Critic

No avoiding a mean girl. Long before queen bee Regina George and the Plastics ruled the school in the satirical teen comedy film, Mean Girls, the Heathers dominated Westerberg High in the dark cult comedy film, Heathers. The Academy of the Company Theatre Teen Conservatory (T.C.T.) will hold auditions for Heathers the Musical (High School Edition) on Monday, June 6 with callbacks on Tuesday, June 7 at the Company Theatre in Norwell, Massachusetts at 6 p.m. Teen actors from age 13 through college age are invited to audition. Click here and check back for further details on auditions.

Heathers the Musical is based on the 1988 film adaptation that stars Winona Ryder, Shannen Doherty, and Christian Slater. A television adaptation is also in development. Taking a look at the ruthless side of high school, clever Veronica finds her way into the Heathers, Westerberg High’s ultimate, cruel clique, just as she encounters mysterious new guy, J.D. In a wild scheme, Veronica plans to show the world life is so much more than popularity.

Audition candidates should be prepared to sing 16 to 24 bars of a song from the show or similar musical style. A headshot or snapshot and a resume is preferred at the audition, but not required. Audition candidates may bring their own sheet music, but the score will be available with accompaniment. Audition candidates will be charged a non-refundable $10 audition fee. Click here for further details on the A.C.T. Summer Workshop and to the emergency form to be completed prior to the audition.

Performances for the Academy of the Company Theatre’s Teen Conservatory of Heathers the Musical (High School Edition) will be held at the Company Theatre, 30 Accord Park Drive in Norwell, Massachusetts on July 13 and 14 at 7 p.m. For further information about the auditions, email ACT@companytheatre.com, or call the box office at 1-781-871-2787. Click here for more information about the Company Theatre’s fabulous 2017 season and follow them on Facebook.

Award-winning journalist JC Monahan discusses her part in Urban Improv’s funniest fundraiser, ‘Banned in Boston’

Posted on April 3, 2017 by The Sleepless Critic

Photo courtesy of Urban Improv

What is it like to perform at Urban Improv’s annual fundraiser, comedy, and music revue Banned in Boston? For the last five years, Emmy award-winning journalist and Chronicle host JC Monahan has taken the stage to support Urban Improv’s dedication to youth empowerment each year while leaving seriousness at the door. Sometimes the backstage antics are as hilarious as what is happening onstage.

Urban Improv is celebrating its 25^th anniversary and presenting Banned in Boston, an evening of delicious food from top restaurants such as Mei Mei, Island Creek Oyster Bar, Eastern Standard, and East Coast Grill, improve featuring guests from business to politics to media personalities, and much more on Friday, April 7 at House of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts at 6 p.m. This is a 21+ event. Hosted by WGBH’s Jim Braude and Margery Eagan, click here for this year’s featured guests and tickets.

As the guest list grows longer each year, this exciting, highly-anticipated event get sillier and more inventive. Anything can happen. Emmy award-winning journalist JC Monahan talks about her experiences.

Onstage at Banned in Boston – Governor Charlie Baker and musician Sally Taylor

Jeanne Denizard: Last year, I interviewed returning musician, Sally Taylor. Sally said she had a blast at Banned in Boston.

JC Monahan: She participates every year and is such a big supporter. I think a lot of the fun happens backstage, but we also have fun onstage too. It’s a chance to connect with so many other people in Boston behind the scenes talking and getting to know each other, laughing at the costumes we’re wearing and the lines that we’re saying, and it’s a blast seeing some of these people put into crazy situations. For example, one of my all-time favorite memories is Aerosmith’s Tom Hamilton, dressed in this fantastic blue prom dress, as one of Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters. Tom has achieved so much in his life and it’s so great he is totally willing to get onstage and be silly all for Urban Improv.

JD: He’s local too.

JCM: We have amazing people right in our backyard and it’s fantastic they all get onstage for this cause. We’re all from different walks of life contributing in our own way in our personal lives, but we are also contributing together onstage. I am as much a fan as I am a participant. Sally Taylor is so sweet, so down to earth, and so talented. I’ve become good friends with WGBH’s Jared Bowen and that is completely through Banned in Boston. Emily Rooney is hysterical and Matt Siegel, who I only hear on Matty in the Morning. I usually don’t get to see him face to face. It’s a little reunion every year.

Urban Improv presents their annual fundraiser, Banned in Boston Photo courtesy of Lisa Kessler/Urban Improv

JD: This year, Banned in Boston is hosted by WGBH’s Margery Eagan and Jim Braude.

JCM: They are two of my favorites and I listen to them all the time. Jim usually gives me a hard time which is perfect. It’s a great night and I love everything about it.

JD: It’s such a great cause. Urban Improv helps youth cope with real life challenges such as bullying and violence through topical improvisation.

JCM: Exactly, you’re there to support the arts in many ways, but you are also using the arts in such a constructive way to help kids learn to communicate. We can all benefit from being better communicators. I love that they are starting young and reaching kids who may not know how to solve a problem. Maybe Urban Improv will be that change in their life that sets them on a new path. How can you not want to be behind that?

JD: These kids may lack the guidance and are not in an environment where they can get it.

JCM: Exactly, it takes all of us. Urban Improv steps in and reaches those kids. If I can help keep that program going in a very small way, I’ll be there. I’ve participated for four or five years, but I feel like I’ve been there since the beginning since they make you feel like part of a family. It is a very inviting, warm, environment and it allows you to be even sillier that you would be.

JD: Oh, I know! The funny things I have heard.

JCM: When you have the congressmen get up onstage and act silly, the Governor, and the people I know through charity events as well, it’s just fun for everybody. One of the funnier ones is Sonia Chang-Diaz who was funny as Miley Cyrus one year. Banned in Boston oftentimes have a ringer who is an actual actress or actor that will blow us all away. Kathy St. George will be there this year and she’ll be amazing.

JD: You need a few to keep people guessing. Are any of your characters created with you in mind?

JCM: No, I think they work hard to keep us outside our comfort zone. Politicians don’t play politicians most of the time, though last year I did get to play a reporter a little on the nose. Then, years ago, I was a bratty yoga devotee. I’m all for putting me in the most uncomfortable, craziest role because it’s much easier than something that’s close to who you actually are. I’d rather play Miley Cyrus than have to play myself.

JD: Do you have certain people that you click with better onstage?

JCM: Anyone who is all in is the person I want to work with and I don’t think there has been anybody who hasn’t been all in. Lisa Pierpont is always all in. She came one year in a big, long wig. If you take yourself too seriously, this might not be the place for you. The list of people who have said yes are ready to be silly, ridiculous, and get people to laugh and enjoy themselves because we want people to come back year after year and continue to support Urban Improv.

JD: I know it is an improv show, but do you do any preparation for it?

JCM: We get the script less than a week before the show, but they do give you a costume comment. One year I played a judge, so I overnight shipped a graduation gown on Amazon for the show. I played the yoga devotee and they said to please come in yoga clothes. You have no rehearsal time and we walk onstage with our scripts. We are pretty much a mess, and that is the fun of it.

JC Monahan during an improv sketch at Banned in Boston as a judge with cast Photo courtesy of Lisa Kessler/Urban Improv

JD: What kind of surprises stick out for you over the years?

JCM: You don’t know what character you are playing opposite until you get there, so it’s always fun to see who got what character. A couple of years ago, the chefs in Boston made this awesome music video. Nobody knew they had done it and it wasn’t part of the program. That took some coordination, preparation, and effort for people that are super busy, but it was hysterical. This year’s Banned in Boston’s theme is offense, misdeeds, and comedic infractions.

JD: That sounds dangerous.

JCM: Yes, you never know. When I see the script in my inbox, it’s Christmas morning for me. You find out where they put you, the songs we sing at the beginning and the end and coming up with new lyrics to fit the always Boston-centric theme. Anybody from this area will get the jokes. The jokes are always about Boston accents, Boston parking, Boston drivers, Boston politics. Nothing will be missed and the audience will get it all.

JD: You talked a lot about what you look forward to each year and what drives you to return. What do you think is the best reason people should see Banned in Boston?

JCM: There are a lot of wonderful Boston fundraisers, so it’s hard to capture people’s attention, time, and money, and Banned in Boston has found a really unique way to do it that captures the spirit of what Urban Improv is. It has great food, great drinks, and a fantastic space at House of Blues in Boston. There’s no better mix than that.

Youth improv work in action Photo courtesy of Urban Improv

Click here for more information and tickets to this hilarious, one night only event starting at Lansdowne Pub for a cocktail reception at 9 Lansdowne Street on Friday, April 7 at 6 p.m. Banned in Boston at House of Blues, located at 15 Lansdowne Street, kicks off at 7:45 p.m. Click here for more on Urban Improv and its mission.