Everyone has a story.
Each week, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s Tony Taglavore takes to lunch a local person–someone who is well-known, influential, or successful, and asks, “What’s Your Story?”
By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Services
It’s a choice many of us must make when deciding what to do with our life.
Earn good money, but not love what you do, or love what you do, knowing you won’t make the living you would like?
That was the question a young Michael Butterman had to answer.
“Growing up, I really wasn’t sure where my career was going to go. I expected maybe I would pursue something like medicine, or maybe music. As I got older, I got much more serious as a pianist. I practiced really hard and did quite well. But ultimately, when it came time to decide where to go to college, I was accepted to some conservatories to study piano. But I couldn’t really see myself making the living I wanted as, what? A piano soloist? How many Van Cliburn’s are there in the world? I was pretty sure I was not that.”
So, Michael chose to pursue what figured to be a lucrative career. He enrolled as a pre-med student at the University of Virginia (UVA) — his state university — with thoughts of becoming a medical researcher.
“I found math and science very satisfying, and the logical, rational side of information processing was something that came naturally. Maybe that was from my Dad (a geologist). That’s a nice application of science and math skills — a way you can make a very positive difference in your world, your community, and in people’s lives.”
But a funny thing happened on Michael’s way to studying medicine. He found a way to chase his first love — music.
“Yes, I was a pre-med student, but I also sang in a couple of different choirs. I was a piano accompanist for those choirs, and it was really through that that I got into things like the acapella groups that are everywhere. I was a music director, where I learned how to arrange things.”
Michael has come a long way from directing college acapella groups. Now in his 19th year as the Music Director of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra — he also works for three other orchestras — the 57-year-old told me his story over lunch at a place of his choosing, El Cabo Verde. Michael enjoyed sour cream enchiladas with rice and beans, while I warmed up with a bowl of chicken tortilla soup.
Michael’s not from around these parts. Born in Delaware, he and his family moved to northern Virginia in time for him to start second grade. One of two children (brother), Michael enjoyed “a fairly typical suburban middle class childhood”, and played baseball, basketball, and tennis.
Michael also took piano and violin lessons. “That was a big part of my life from the moment we got there at age six or seven.”
There was a piano in Michael’s home, and it got plenty of use.
“My mom was a pianist and a singer . . . . We had a huge, huge record collection, and there was always music playing. I got to hear everything from a lot of Jazz, to obviously classical music. So, there was never really a question of if I would learn to play some instruments. It seemed like a natural thing everybody would want to do. I wanted to do it.”
In college, Michael officially graduated from UVA with a Chemistry degree. Unofficially, he earned a second degree.
“I basically had a music major as well. I had taken all the theory and history classes, which make up a music major.”
Michael applied to med schools., but before being accepted, was offered an opportunity too good to pass up. UVA’s Director of Choirs was going to take a one-year sabbatical, and had confidence that in his absence, Michael could conduct the school’s choirs.
“‘Yeah, let’s do it!’ Michael said. ‘When am I going to get a chance like this again?’ That was the beginning of it for me, really. It was very eye-opening, because as a pianist, as wonderful as it is, you’re making music by yourself. As a conductor, it’s the complete opposite of that, right? Literally, as a conductor, you can’t do anything without other people.”
When the Director of Choirs returned, Michael wasn’t ready to leave Charlottesville. But he needed a reason to stay. So, he enrolled in law school.
Why not?
Michael lasted a year.
“I did enjoy it. I thought the study of law was fascinating.”
Fascinating, but not fulfilling.
“It was that year which helped me put it all in perspective. Any spare moment I had — walking somewhere or taking a shower — I wasn’t thinking about the cases we were studying. It was the music I was preparing. I was always thinking about music.”
A chance meeting with Robert Shaw, “the great choral conductor of the 20th century”, convinced Michael to earn a doctorate in Choral Conducting from Indiana University (IU), the largest accredited music school in the United States.
“I realized that I had been a big fish in a relatively small musical pond. I think I knew enough to know that I needed to see if I could stack up. I needed to go to the New York City of music schools, and see what would happen. If I couldn’t cut it, I would rather know sooner, than years down the road.”
Michael found he did “stack up”. When finished at IU, Michael got his first full-time job as Director of Orchestras at LSU, “which for a guy coming out of grad school, was a great opportunity.”
But after five years, Michael outgrew his position.
“I had reached a point that to keep growing as a conductor, I needed to work with professional musicians on a more regular basis.”
Michael became Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville, Florida symphony, and Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach with the Rochester, New York Philharmonic. He and his wife, Jennifer (they’ve been married 27 years), moved to the Sunshine state (where daughter Olivia was born), and Michael commuted to the northeast when necessary.
Having two jobs at once was a precursor to the four jobs he has now. In 2005, Michael became the Music Director Designate of the Shreveport Symphony. He and his family moved here a year later. In six months, Michael accepted the music directorship position with the Boulder, Colorado Philharmonic.
Michael chose not to move again.
As if the Shreveport and Boulder jobs aren’t enough, Michael also works with the Lancaster, Pennsylvania symphony, and the Williamsburg, Virginia symphony. From September through the spring, if there isn’t a performance in Shreveport, Michael is “almost always” at one of his other jobs.
“Four is pretty extreme.”
Standing 6’4, arms rising and falling with the music’s tempo, Michael conducts in the moment, both emotionally and spiritually.
“That’s why anybody listens to music. For the most part, you don’t turn on music because you’re interested in how this composer is going to take this particular motive and manipulate it in very fascinating ways by stretching it out . . . . That’s not what motivates an audience to get dressed up, come downtown, park a car, pay money, and come to our concerts. What motivates people to do that is you’re looking for these moments of transcendence. Anybody in life, when time feels like it stops — occasionally you see that perfect sunset, or it’s prayer or meditation, Whatever it is. Those are the opportunities in life when you can let things slow down a little bit and try to experience things on a different plane. I feel like when an orchestral concert is done well, that’s the opportunity it provides — spiritual and emotional transcendence.”
Michael was very generous with his time, but my goodness, he has four jobs! So, I asked my final question. As always, what is it about his story that can be helpful to others?
In short, follow your dream.
“The reason I hesitated to go into music was two-fold. One, I thought it would be a hard way to make a living. Ultimately, what I discovered is whatever you love doing, you will pour your heart into it, and have a good chance of being successful at something you’re going to work hard at . . . . The other reason I hesitated is because I thought a doctor would be a way to make a bigger difference in the world . . . . I’ve tried to make evangelizing classical music a sub-theme of my career. I want to program and produce concerts in ways that will open up the experience to more people.”
Leaving the restaurant, Michael and I shook hands. He got in his car, I got in mine. I began streaming Pandora’s Classical Radio channel. After hearing Michael’s passion, it was the least I could do.
Do you know someone who has a story to tell? Email SBJTonyT@gmail.com
