Quarter Notes

Hessie Sargent was a devoted volunteer who was generous to the core. In honor of her many hours of service to the BSO and BSAV, the Hessie Sargent Spirit of Volunteering Award was established to highlight a BSAV Boston volunteer’s dedication to the program each year.

We usually present the award to the winner each spring at our Annual Meeting and Recognition Event at the end of the regular BSO season. In addition, the name of the winner is added to the plaque that hangs in the BSAV office. This year, however, since we will not be meeting in the spring due to COVID-19, we plan to postpone the in-person event until the fall when we will get together for the meeting. At that time, we will honor this year's award winner, Suzanne Baum!

Our BSAV Nominating Committee is so pleased to add Suzanne's name to our list of Sargent Award winners, as she is such a devoted volunteer who has given so much of her time and energy to the BSO. Suzanne has been volunteering since 2010, driving in from her home in Acton, and has worked on nearly every project team. There are too many to list, but a sampling of her volunteer efforts includes Hosts, Instrument Playground as an Assistant and Flute Demonstrator, Cartoon Fest, Mailings, Cafe Flowers, Hall Decorations, Symphony Shop, Company Celebration at Pops, as well as serving on the Executive Committee for several years, first as Co-Chair Community Outreach/Audience Development and then as Vice Chair Boston. Currently, she serves as the Volunteer Applicant Liaison for Boston.

Suzanne said she first thought of volunteering at BSO when she was purchasing BSO tickets online and noticed that there were volunteer efforts she could apply to join. What particularly attracted her besides her great love of music and the orchestra was the wide range of projects in which she might participate.

The first instrument Suzanne played was the piano, and she received lessons from her aunt, a professional musician and choral conductor. She describes the lessons as a lot of fun, so it seems natural that Suzanne particularly loves piano music, such as the Beethoven and Chopin concertos with soloists like Yefim Bronfman and Jean-Yves Thibaudet. A Dave Brubeck Quartet concert at the Hall when Brubeck was 90 years old was particularly memorable and inspiring for Suzanne, seeing a musician at his age who still had the energy and enthusiasm for playing great music on stage!

Branching into other instruments, she took up clarinet in middle school and high school playing in school ensembles including the marching band. I wish we had a picture of Suzanne in her band uniform!

The first flutist Suzanne heard in concert was James Galway, and she loved it! She also loves the solo performances of BSO's principal flute, Elizabeth Rowe. Maybe those two inspired her to learn the flute over the past several years after retiring from teaching High School and Community College English, as well as English to Speakers of Other Languages. She currently plays flute with a local ensemble at various venues, including some assisted living residences, and she participates in the Flute Festival at the NEC every summer.

Suzanne did relate a memorable story that would resonate with all new volunteers facing a tricky interaction with our patrons. She had her first volunteer assignment at the Information Table, when we had the table set up in the corridor near the Mass Ave entrance. She mentioned to her volunteer colleague at the table that she was worried about getting a question she could not answer. Her colleague said not to worry, and that they almost never get hard questions. So who stops by to ask questions, but two architects from London with plenty of questions about the architectural details of the Hall! Suzanne felt she was out of her league, but handled the situation beautifully by handing them the Hall brochure with many answers to some specific questions, and then gracefully suggesting they take a Hall tour with an experienced tour guide who would know all the answers to their questions! Bravo Suzanne!

It is clear in talking with her that she truly loves the music, the Hall, the orchestra, and the staff. But, she especially loves working with so many other wonderful volunteers, and she wanted to say thank you to all of you in BSAV for the opportunity to serve with you, and for the many friends she has made!