Mollie Glazer named NCMC director
BY MARLI GUZZETTA INDEPENDENT ARTS EDITOR
People say that things have a way of working out on Nantucket for people who are meant to be here. Sometimes, it takes a while for the destiny of it all to be fully realized, as has been the case with Mollie Glazer, who has recently been named the new executive director of the NCMC/Nantucket School of Music, effective July 1. She succeeds Dr. Gerald Mack, who announced his retirement last spring.

"We had a search process, and the committee unanimously endorsed the recommendation to appoint her, and the trustees unanimously agreed to do that," said Mack, who is "very happy" that Glazer will replace him at the helm.

"Gerry has done a lot for the school, especially with the concerts and musicians he's brought here," Glazer said of Mack. "He knows a lot of really fantastic, top-of-the-line musicians who wouldn't have come here without him."

"Mollie is a talented musician with superb skills who has already shown a desire to grow the program," said Mary Saffell, president of the NCMC/ Nantucket School of Music Board of Trustees. "I think she'll be an effective and wonderful executive director and will continue to foster and promote music education in our community."

Having studied cello and viola da gamba at New England Conservatory and the Royal Conservatory of the Netherlands and subsequently performing throughout the United States and Europe (recording with five labels), Glazer moved to Nantucket from Manhattan in 1992 in order to teach for the NCMC.

When Deborah Beale retired from the executive directorship in 2001, Glazer had wanted very much to apply for the job, but a baby stalled her desire to do so.

So, she continued to teach - through the Nantucket Lighthouse School, the Nantucket New School, the public schools and in the Nantucket Atheneum's Weezie Library for Children, as well as privately and for the NCMC. She formed string ensembles that have grown large enough to be orchestras. "I've always felt that kids have to play together, that's why I started string ensembles," said Glazer, adding that the timing is now right for her to finally assume the position she'd wanted years ago.

"My son is now 7, and I'm ready," Glazer said. "I did tell them in my interview that it's like the maturing of the teacher in me, to have a job like this. Hopefully, I can have more impact with my teacher energy on more students than just the ones I have, one-on-one."

For the first time in the NCMC's 32-year history, the position of executive director will run for the full 12 months.

Until July 1, Mack will stay on as director, and Glazer will continue working as the summer programs director - in her role this summer, she has instituted a slate of new programs.

"This year, we're having band camps, individual lessons, voice lessons - a lot of different things, and that is at her initiation," Saffell said.

Even though she's not yet the director, Glaazer also recently launched a Web site for the organization (www.nantucketscfhoolofmusic.com), featuring faculty bios and schedules. Her stepson, Jed Williams, who is a physics teacher at Nantucket High School and who has a degree in computer

design, launched it for her.

Glazer's newest creation is the

NCMC "Soirée," whereby NCMC musicians come into someone's home and perform (for a party, or even a small dinner) for a tax-deductible donation to the school.

"The idea is to make a tax deductible donation to the school and then have a private concert in your home. It can be based on the soirées of the 19th century, or not. I'm letting the host make the call," Glazer said. "If a person wants entertainment, but doesn't want it to be in the way of a fundraiser, they can have musicians perform in their homes in all styles: jazz, bluegrass, folk, classical. … I'll work with people to give them something they want. But ultimately, I wanted to offer a different experience for people who want to support island nonprofits, because they're asked constantly. I'm hoping this will be a win-win in people's minds."

Currently, the NCMC offers a chorus and community jazz band - both of which are open to the public - as well as classes, individual lessons, soirees and the annual organ crawl.

Glazer has a small notebook's worth of ideas for the NCMC - which she refers to as "dreams" for the organization, as in, "I dream of having an instrument petting zoo, where can kids can get their hands on different instruments on try them. I just want more people on the island to know about music education, and so I'd like to foster more possibilities and to create more instructions to instruments."

In order to do that, Glazer said she'd like to continue to grow the number of instructors in the program. Currently, 16 musicians work with roughly 100 students, from ages 2 to 70-something.

"There is so much talent here. It's an exciting time to be director," Glazer said. "The musicians rallied and stepped up to the plate with ideas for these summer programs. So who knows what they'll be willing to do in

the future?" I

Call the NCMC office, 228-3352, for info on classes and soirées.