By Margit Resch
Do me a favor: Go to youtube.com, type in “TAKE3, Stand by Me,” and listen to the trio’s captivating rendition of that Ben E. King classic song. Actually, you can just listen to any of their music, the unusual and alluring fusion of classical and popular tunes created by a vocalist/violinist, a pianist and a cellist.
Lindsay Deutsch, the founder of TAKE3, said that their music is based on the following idea: “What if we combined classical music with music people actually like?” So the trio cleverly mixes music like “Sweet Home Alabama,” Billy Joel’s “She’s Got a Way,” Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World,” Willie Nelson’s unforgettable “On the Road Again” or Leonard Cohen’s immensely popular “Hallelujah” with Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata,” Bach’s “Ave Maria,” Mozart’s “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” or John Nelson’s “Amazing Grace,” first published in 1779.
I am sure you will actually like TAKE3’s music mixes. You will want to hear and see TAKE3 in real life. And you can — right here in Beaufort County. Fripp Island Friends of Music (FIFOM) is offering a TAKE3 concert in Fripp Island’s Community Centre on 5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 13.
Did you listen to one of the trio’s performances on YouTube? So, what do you like better, Lindsay Deutsch’s mesmerizing voice or her classically-inspired, rock-infused, alluring violin rendition; or the creative, catchy interludes by award winning pianist Jason Stroll; or the bewitching, almost romantic versions of cellist Mikala Schmitz, an avid, internationally admired performer of many different styles.
Actually, you shouldn’t just listen, you should also watch closely, because the trio’s visual performances are just as dramatic and dazzling, especially Deutsch’s intriguing body language and facial expressions. While playing the violin expertly, she dances, leaps, struts and prances, grimaces, laughs, frowns and otherwise emotes, all in the service of illustrating the music.
“She played like a column of fire – her head thrown back, her body an extension of the instrument,” one reviewer wrote, describing her physical stage demeanor.
Deutsch made her solo orchestral debut at age 11, playing with the Clear Lake Symphony in Texas. In addition to forging a reputation as a violinist, she won (would you believe) a gold medal in the World Junior Olympic Racquetball Championships in 1997 and was selected to the 2000 U.S Junior Olympic Racquetball Team. No wonder Deutsch is moving with such elegance and agility on stage while playing violin. At age 15, she decided to pursue a musical career. While earning her degree from the Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles, where she studied with Robert Lipsett, she continued to perform with major orchestras all over North America.
She was just 20 years old when she received national attention. No, not for winning in racquetball, not for playing violin — yet. In fact, she couldn’t have played in April of 2005 because her violin was stolen out of her car — a 1742 Sanctus Seraphin violin, valued at $850,000, on loan from the Mandell Collection of Southern California. Deutsch offered a $10,000 reward, and the instrument was returned five days later.
In 2018, Deutsch began touring with Yanni, a Greek-American composer, pianist and music producer. She was the featured violinist during his “Yanni 25 – Live at the Acropolis Anniversary Concert Tour,” which also took her to Saudi Arabia and the United States.
Deutsch’s movie credits include the violin sound track in the 2006 movie The Good Shepherd starring Robert de Niro. It’s not surprising to find out that Deutsch is actively involved in outreach programs to present classical music to young audiences and revitalize classical music in general. So she will love playing for FIFOM’s Music-in-the-Schools program on Monday after the concert on Fripp. And, of course, she performs with her trio TAKE3, these days amassing a schedule of about 60 concerts a year. And amassing as many flattering reviews. Just two of these will have to suffice.
The Indian Wells Community Concert Association wrote: “Due in large part to how well they connected with our audience, our members without exception are calling this the best concert they can remember us hosting, and we go back 73 years.”
Chris Seidel from the Palm Springs Community Concert Association said: “To say TAKE3 was a hit would be an understatement to be sure. In all the years I’ve been associated with the Concert Association, I’ve never had as many compliments. They were a smashing success!”
Come and be dazzled by TAKE3 on Sunday, Nov. 13, 5 p.m. in the Fripp Island Community Centre, 205 Tarpon Blvd. Admission at the door is $30 for adults (credit cards accepted), students free thanks to the Peg Gorham Memorial Fund. You are invited to a meet-the-artist reception after the performance, catered, deliciously, by Harold’s Chef Services.
This concert is presented by FIFOM and supported by the SC Arts Commission. It helps fund FIFOM’s Music-in-the-Schools program. See our website frippfriendsofmusic.com for more information, and call or text Vanessa Peñaherrera at (704) 807-0255 for reservations.
