Holly Mulcahy, the Wichita Symphony’s concertmaster and partner for audience engagement, often “makes coffee or lunch dates with patrons … not only as an ambassador for the orchestra but to find out about them as individuals,” writes David Burke in Sunday’s (1/31) Wichita Eagle (KS). “Her visit last November showed some coincidences that alarmed her…. ‘They all said they were worried about their mental health in the upcoming months,’ she says.… She approached the symphony board about assuaging those feelings and they enthusiastically approved her idea for what became “Wellness Wednesdays,” a weekly series of videos that debuted Jan. 13 and are scheduled to continue at least through the end of February.… [In] the most recent video … Mulcahy discusses the comfort of music with Daniel Hege, Wichita Symphony conductor and musical director, and Dr. Shannon Loeck, a psychiatrist at the University of Kansas Med Center-Wichita…. Mulcahy said she has not only heard waves of appreciation from symphony patrons, but it has given a boost to musicians as well. ‘It really generates a lot of energy and conversation—what can music do for people and how can it be used in positive, interesting ways’ she said.”
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