Classical appreciation
By LAURI REESE
Staff Writer
Anything that endures over
50 years, whether music, art,
dancing, or whatever, anything
that continues to sell, continues
to be performed, is a classical
piece, says Patricia Fleitas, di
rector of the Century Singers,
the A&M's Women's Chorus,
and Madrigal Dinners.
Classical music does some
thing to people, it does some
thing to their souls, she says.
Margaret McArthur, who tea
ches music appreciation and
music theory, says classical mu
sic is special because it has stay
ing power. And it stays because
it's good.
Classical music often is con
sidered serious music, as op
posed to popular, jazz, swing,
rock 'n' roll, gospel and other
types of music, Fleitas says.
She says you don't really
have to know anything about
classical music to enjoy it. Flei
tas has several friends who en
joy classical music as back-
round music, she says. They
nd it soothing, relaxing.
Of course, the more they lis
ten to it, the more they learn
about it, she says. They educate
themselves.
McArthur says many stu
dents never have been to a live
concert of classical music. Once
they go, they become hooked
on it, she says.
McArthur says all music is
classified by stylistic periods,
like the Renaissance, the Classi
cal and the Romantic periods.
Each period has what people
call classical music in it, not just
the Classical period, she says.
Dr. Gilbert Plass, an A&M
physics professor, composes,
produces, engineers and nar
rates a classical music radio pro
gram, which airs three times a
week: at 5 p.m. on Sundays, at
1 p.m. on Wednesdays and at 9
p.m. on Thursdays, on KAMU-
FM, 90.9 on the FM dial.
In the hour-long programs,
Plass plays compositions from
his own private collection and
tells interesting stories about
the composers.
Plass says he has been pro
ducing the program for over six
years because he loves classical
music and wants to bring it to
this area.
Classical music grows on
you, he says. Each time you lis
ten to it, you hear more and
more new things.
Plass says that for cities of
College Station and Bryan's
size, the awareness and avail
ability of classical music is really
good, at least it's a lot better
than it used to be.
Plass says that when he and
his wife moved to the area 17
years ago, nothing was avail
able in classical music. The Op
era and Performing Arts Society
has helped an enormous
amount, he says.
Barbara Ramage, director of
operations for OPAS, says there
still is a big need for fine arts
awareness and appreciation in
the Bryan-College Station area
and at A&M.
Many students, especially
from big cities like Houston and
Dallas, are accustomed to fine
arts being available and it's
sometimes a let-down when
they come to College Station,
she says.
OPAS is an organizaitn de
signed to bring international
performers to the community
and to promote the arts, Ra
mage says.
Dr. G's thrives
on live music
By SALLY SCHWIERZKE
Reporter
From the outside. Dr. G's
looks like any other house
along College Main, complete
with front porch swings. It's
not until you get inside that the
resemblence stops. The interior
is packed with tables, the bar is
against one wall, the bandstand
against another, and the dance
floor is squeezed in between.
Dr. G's is Bryan-College Sta
tion's latest answer to live mu
sic. They feature local, regional
and national acts. Their music
ranges from punk to reggae to
new wave to blues to folk mu
sic. A little something for every
body, says Willie Bennett, man
ager and booking agent for the
club.
"I like variety, and we want
to satisfy all the needs for live
music," Bennett saytf. Bennett,
formerly the buyer and man
ager for a San Marcus feed
store, has been promoting live
music for 10 years.
Bennett saw the potential for
a club offering live music and
began sending out feelers. He
was approached by Dr. George
Graham who also was inter
ested in bringing live music to
College Station.The two men
got together, found the present
location and decided to make a
go of it. Dr. Graham, a former
mathematics professor at Texas
A&M, is the owner of the club,
hence the name Dr. G's.
"We are not into making a
killing at the door," Bennett
says. "The bottom line is live
music." The cover charge
ranges from $3 to $4, but with
the bands receiving an average
of $2000, the club is just cover
ing expences.
Despite their small size, Dr.
G's is able to attract national
acts as a result of their location.
"We are right in between
Austin and Houston, and it is a
good chance for the bands to
make some money on their way
to their next show," Bennett
says.
Dr. G's can now hold about
150 people, but they are plan
ning to expand not only the
building, but also their services.
In the next two weeks, they will
begin sending lunch. The menu
will include plate lunches,
quiche, chicken fried steak and
other home cooked meals.
"We need the lunch business
to support our live music ha
bit," Bennett says. "We also
need to be open more than just
See Dr. G's page 14