Word choice needs clarification

By Rebecca Petersen | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, November 3, 2007

Well, last week’s column taught me that “you never know who will read what you write.”

While the story was intended for the Fergus Falls Daily Journal readers, evidently Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) picked up on the story and posted it somewhere on their website, which, in turn, put it out there in front of many co-workers of Mike Wangen and Alan Frechtman who work for MPR.

So, I have a little bit of back peddling to do here.

When I referred to tech director/guru, Alan Frechtman as “the infamous” Alan Frechtman, it was meant as a total compliment. Yes, I know that while “famous” is, perhaps, a compliment maybe “infamous” is not.

But I must confess, that sometimes I prefer infamous people over famous people. I have come to use the expression when describing people who are not famous but who should be.

It’s dangerous when you start messing with Merriam Webster. So, here’s my public apology to Alan Frechtman and to Merriam Webster. Alan is not infamous. He’s the famous guy behind the scenes that makes everything happen. I’m looking for the right word for that without making something up. If you know it please help me out here.

I told this story this week, while enroute to Fargo with Mark Solie and Neil Page for F-M Opera rehearsals for The Mikado. Neil had just written a letter to violinist, Midori, thanking her for her visit to Fergus Falls. Then he found out that she often answers her letters by posting them on her website.

I think we should all visit her web site often, to see if she answers the letter from Neil. Besides, it’s an interesting site (www.gotomidori.com). She’s doing amazing things for music, mankind and education all over the world. Again, you never know where your stories and letters will end up these days.

This week’s behind the scenes? Everyone is asking, “Who was that amazing page turner at Midori’s concert last week?” Well, there aren’t many times when I’m a genius but that was one of them.

When I was watching the Midori At Carnegie Hall video a couple of weeks ago, all of a sudden it hit me. — “Oh my gosh, Robert McDonald is going to need an unflappable page turner.”

This would not be me, and I know many others who tremble at the thought of, perhaps, ruining an entire concert because they turned two pages instead of one, or dropped the music on the floor; or bumped the pianist during a difficult passage. I deem this one of the most difficult jobs on the stage.

So, I called Robert Chabora, a fine pianist himself and chair of the music department at Concordia College.

If you were at the concert last Thursday you might remember me saying, “Wow! This is the night. It’s finally here and I’m scared and I don’t even have to be on stage!”

But when I sat down and listened to the sound of those instruments and watched Bob Chabora turn that first page, all fear and trepidation vanished because I knew that three fine artists were now in control of the evening — the world class musician Midori on violin, pianist extraordinaire

Robert McDonald on piano and the impeccable Robert Chabora on page turning. For just one moment I felt the genius in all of it and I was just a part of the crowd.

Rebecca Petersen is the director of A Center for the Arts in downtown Fergus Falls.