THE TRANSCRIPT

Boston.com:
Welcome to Boston.com, Keith. Why don't you start by telling us about the 25th edition of the concert and fireworks tomorrow night.

Keith:
This is, as you said, the 25th anniversary. I hope it to be the most spectacular Fourth of July party that the Boston Pops has yet presented. It's really a thrill for me to be associated with something that has become a great tradition - not just for Boston, but celebrated all across the country.

Question:
Do you ever get sick of playing the same pieces over and over?

Keith:
The official answer is no; but as you can imagine, any piece you play after the first thousand times or so it loses some of the thrill. We're still gratified that the audience loves those pieces so much and has come to expect them.

Question:
What will you be playing tomorrow night?

Keith:
In addition to what you would expect on the 4th of July, the "1812 Overture," "Stars & Stripes Forever," and so forth. We will be featuring the orchestra works in tribute to Frank Sinatra, and music from the hit show "Riverdance."

Question:
I really loved your performance of "Porgy & Bess."

Keith:
Thank you. "Porgy & Bess" is a great orchestra - Im looking forward to my first opportunity to do the complete Porgy & Bess opera in Buffalo and Salt Lake City next season.

Question:
Whos your favorite composer?

Keith:
It's tough to answer favorite composer questions; there are so many and a lot of it depends on my mood. But some of my favorites include Mahler, Mozart, Stravinsky, and of course, Gershwin.

Question:
Can you spill the beans Mr. Lockhart ( not sure if this would be a secret or not ) and tell us who your special guest would be [tomorrow at the Fourth concert]? Not to take anything away from you or your musicans.

Keith:
There are several special guests tomorrow night - no secret! Our special guests include Melissa Manchester, doing a tribute to the centennial of his George Gershwins birth; members of the cast of the Broadway sensation, "Ragtime;" and the big party band for the evening will be Buckwheat Zydeco in their first ever collaboration with an orchestra.

Question:
Keith, while I was in Boston at the end of May, I was fortunate enough to attend the Pops. I also had my hair done at Avanti where you go! I had never been to any type of symphony before and since I have returned home, I haven't missed you on PBS-TV!! Thanks for introducing me to a new world of music.

Keith:
Thank you - hope you got a good haircut while you were at it...

Question:
Keith, where did you study? Also, do you like any popular singer/composers of today? i.e. Billy Joel?

Keith:
I did my undergraduate work at Furman University in South Carolina and my graduate work at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. My early training as a musician was as a pianist and clarinetist. Conducting study involves mastery of an instrument, the study of the other instruments which comprise an orchestra, a lot of study of music theory and history, and making a lot of mistakes until you finally develop the ability to keep a lot of musicians on the right track. Regarding contemporary singers: Melissa Etheridge, Cheryl Crow, Paul Simon, James Taylor, love K.D. Lang's work -- tend to prefer singer-songwriters where the text is particularly thought-provoking.

Question:
What classical music will be played tomorrow night - or will it all be popular? The "Evening at Pops" broadcasts are great. My 3 year-old loves conducting with you on the TV. Any helpful hints to start his music career? Have a wonderful time tomorrow.

Keith:
The July 4th celebration tends to have a little less normal classical than in our musical Pops mix. Our sole representative is the standard "1812 Overture," but in our defense it is the longest piece in the program. Glad you and your son enjoy "Evening at Pops" -- hopefully in a couple of years your son's attraction to music will lead to an early study of an instrument, such as piano or violin. The important thing is to getting him to love it first, then getting him to practice will be a lot easier!

Question:
Hi Keith. Who is you favorite Red Sox Player?

Keith:
My favorite Red Sox player is Mo Vaughn -- when he's healthy.

Question:
Keith, will you ever bring the Boston Symphony to South Florida?

Keith:
Funny you should mention that -- the Pops will tour Florida January of '99 with stops in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Sarasota, to name a few.

Question:
Do you get to watch the fireworks at all?

Keith:
I do get to watch the fireworks but, it's usually more than halfway through the show before I can actually see the them.

Question:
Wheres your favorite place to perform?

Keith:
I like lots of different venues for different reasons -- Symphony Hall is a great space acoustically, Tanglewood is a beautiful place to make music, and the Hatch Shell - though a somewhat difficult place to perform - is great because of all the people it brings down into the heart of Boston.

Question:
How many suspenders do you own?

Keith:
Suspenders -- I probably own a dozen pairs or so, most of them are pretty tame and the public has only seen a few of them. Why - do you like suspenders or do you wish I wouldn't wear them?

Question:
Keith, I love you in suspenders! I even made a pair for you! How can I send them to you?

Keith:
Suspenders can be sent to the Boston Pops, Symphony Hall, Boston, MA 02115.

Question:
Will you be coming back to Berkeley in the near future?

Keith:
As of now, there are no upcoming plans to play Berkeley, California in the near future, but the Pops will be in Anaheim, Palm Desert, San Diego, Sacramento and Portland, Oregon in December '98.

Question:
Keith, whos your favorite Spice Girl?

Keith:
The one who left!

Question:
Mr. Lockhart: Why is it called the Boston Pops? I am from Maryland where our local symphony is called the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as I am sure you know...What does "Pops" mean or stand for? Thank you

Keith:
The Boston Pops is a subset of our own Boston Symphony Orchestra. In the early days of the Pops (113 years ago) these concerts were called the Boston Symphony Popular Concerts, which was later shortened to the Pops by the media.

Question:
Do you think the public's recent energy on Broadway will infuse American composition with new energy?

Keith:
It's hard to determine who will be viewed as the next Rogers & Hammerstein or Stephen Sondheim. I have to say, though, that two of the most exciting scores that I have heard on Broadway in the last few years have been "Rent" and "Ragtime."

Question:
Keep on playing that old time music that we all love to hear. Especially the marches that keep up our spirits. Love ya

Keith:
Thanks. We will certainly keep playing marches. This year we are doing a lot in addition to "Stars & Stripes Forever."

Question:
Keith, are you a frequent user of the Internet ? If so how often? Good luck tomorrow!

Keith:
I'm embarrassed to say that I don't even have an e-mail address, though you can visit the Pops at http://www.bso.org.

Question:
Keith, do the musicians pay any attention to you? It looks like they are looking at their music sheets or instruments and not really paying all that much attention to what you are doing.

Question:
I second that question. The conductor is suppose to keep time, isn't he? But I never understood what that means.

Keith:
Regarding a conductor keeping time - an orchestra is made up of more than one hundred highly skilled musicians, all of whom can play fine on their own without a conductor. The conductor's main job consists of getting all those musicians to play as a team; to do things at the same time but also to play the music with the same intentions. It may look as if the musicians are busy reading their parts most of the time, but they know when they need to look up, and they are often watching peripherally. I used to tell my students that if they doubted whether the orchestra needed them or not, try stopping conducting at a critical place!

Question:
I live in Fishkill, N.Y. and graduated from John Jay High School (not RCK, like you Keith), in 1977 also. We're all big fans of you here in the Hudson Valley!! I was wondering, what would be the chance of you and the Pops performing here in your hometown?? Possibly Dutchess Stadium (our new minor league stadium) would be a good venue? I saw you at West Point last year, it was certainly a great show!!!!

Keith:
Greetings to Southern Dutchess County! There are no plans in the immediate future to play in Dutchess County (though I'd love to check out the new stadium). Next December we will return to West Point as well as playing Schenectady.

Question:
Keith - How do you enjoy married life? Big change? When are the kids coming?

Keith:
Married life is great. Lucy and I don't see each other enough but we do enjoy the time we spend together. You're right, it's a bit of a change after the last 15 years or so of bachelorhood.

Question:
Keith, what steps did you take to become a composer? Is there an organized process? I'm sure there are many musicians that would like to become composers, but how do people make it you where you are?

Keith:
Though I have some remedial skills as a composer, I don't really think of myself as a composer. I have too much fun interpreting other people's ideas. Maybe someday.

Question:
You seem to like children. Do you plan on starting a family any time soon?

Keith:
I do enjoy kids....stay tuned on the kids issue.....

Question:
Which musical instruments do you play? Which is your favorite and why?

Keith:
My major instruments of study were piano and clarinet, I still perform occasionally as a pianist. I have studied other instruments but don't consider myself a performer on them. I have to say, though, that my two favorite instruments are the French horn and the cello.

Question:
Keith, I recently read in the newspaper that when your contract is up, you will be leaving for Europe. Any truth to that?

Keith:
I have no intention to leave the Boston Pops anytime in the near future!!!! Some of this confusion stems from articles announcing that I was named music director of the Utah Symphony. I will be starting with them in the fall of 1998, but will not be lessening my commitment to Boston one bit!

Question:
Wonder what the weather in Boston will be like tomorrow?

Keith:
I don't know what the NWS says, but it's my firmly held belief that it will be gorgeous tomorrow!

Question:
Keith, what steps did you take to become a composer? Is there an organized process? I'm sure there are many musicians that would like to become composers, but how do people make it you where you are?

Keith:
Conducting study involves a lot of different elements, including study of one or more instruments, study of the academic side of music, and a lot of apprenticeship. Success in the business involves a lot of patience, a lot of study and a lot of good luck.

Question:
Do you like Boston?

Keith:
I love it. It's always been one of my favorite cities; one of the most attractive side benefits was the opportunity to move here.

Question:
What's it like to conduct your wife? What if she misses a note? Is there trouble?

Keith:
Lucy and I try really hard to keep our life as a couple separate from our professional life. While in Symphony Hall I try to deal with her as a professional violinist, and as you might imagine, there's no podium in the house.

Question:
Do you think that classical music is losing it's popularity? Are kids in schools (and at home) not being exposed the classics. I know that the STEP music program has made a difference in the Boston schools. Any chance of taking the program nationwide to counter the cutbacks in the arts in the schools? Keep up the good work, and the great family concerts.

Keith:
I think the rumors of the "death of classical music" are exaggerated, but I do fear that with the death of so many public school music programs we are in danger of losing our exposure with the young in many communities. Project STEP, and the Boston Music Education Collaborative have done a lot to reverse the trend in Boston and other communities have adopted it as models for their other programs.

Question:
Keith, just wondering I would like to write classical music, but I HATE the transposing for different instruments! Is there a program that you know of that will do this automatically?

Keith:
Yes, several of the music and composition notation programs on the market will do your transposition for you, but like anything else, it is to your benefit to know the process behind the program.

Question:
Do you think the event on the July 4th will fall to the pressure from corporate sponsors? Like Boston's July Fourth, presented by Pepsi with Shaq conducting "Stars & Stripes?"

Keith:
David Mugar, whose vision was largely responsible for starting the Boston 4th of July celebration, has always been very concerned about the potential of commercialism in the event. I think that, even if we allow some commercial sponsorship to help support the event, we will take the necessary measures to make sure that the event remains a party for the people of Boston and not a two-hour long commercial.

Question:
Is next year's festivities going to be better than this year or worse. I couldn't go this year. :(

Keith:
Next year's celebration? Better .... always better!

Question:
Keith - if you could play in a current rock band - which band would it be? And don't say Hanson!

Keith:
If Hanson would not let me in (I'm way too old) I think I'd like to play in the Dave Matthews Band.

Question:
Did you ever consider taking a position out of the United States?

Keith:
I worked quite a bit as a guest conductor in Canada and Asia and had some offers of permanent positions in those locations, but the heart of my interest has always been with American music and American musicians.