Big Rapids on a Wednesday night could expose one to an unlikely duo playing classical music.
The unnamed duo is the natural progression of two classical musicians meeting, 17-year-old guitarist Glen Ridley and flutist Paula Cronk.
Having discovered a mutual appreciation for classical upon seeing Ridley play, Cronk, who went to Western Michigan University for musical performance and has been playing flute on and off since 1986, was inspired to pick it back up.
“I had to kind of start over. First, just get a drum and just, ‘can I keep a beat?’” she said.
Having met at Cranker’s Brewery, the duo now practice together and play at the Sawmill Saloon’s open mic nights, bringing another style of music to the venue’s already eclectic pool of artists.
Cronk reflected on seeing Ridley playing for the first time, adding that it was “odd” to see that caliber of classical music in Big Rapids.
Both artists have enjoyed playing with one another and have pushed each other musically. The challenge for Ridley was learning to play from sheet music, which Cronk is used to.
“I feel like since playing with her, I've kind of been forced into this. I have to read (music), and it's been, I think, helping me with that aspect because I want to know how to read,” he said.
On the contrary, by Ridley's typical approach, Cronk is now learning songs without notation for reference.
“I normally play on the page, with sheet music. That's just what I do. But he was teaching me this tune, which turned out to be ‘The Lonely Shepherd’ later — the first tune that I didn't have sheet music for at all —teaching it to me, and that was an interesting experience that is stuck in my memory,” she said.
Apart from pushing each other to improve musically, they have both found significant satisfaction from playing together, even helping Cronk during hard times.
“I had some rough spots, and the music thing has been a bright spot, it has,” Cronk said.
Normally playing alone, which classical guitar is typically suited for, Ridley agreed on the benefit the duo has brought him.
“I guess there’s just something nice about playing with another musician. It's the kind of magic you get from playing with someone else,” he said.
Cronk expressed appreciation for Ridley’s natural talent at such a young age and said he’s a blast to play with.
“He's 17. I'm pushing 50. And he's telling me things that, you know, normally with the age difference, you wouldn't hear,” she said, adding that he reached his level of skill without formal lessons.
“He's just created this magical, wonderful thing. People should hear him, he is just fantastic,”
Cronk is now discovering her reason for playing after many years of being implored to just because she had musical skills.
“If you're good at something, people expect you to do it. You just do it. But now it's kind of more, what do I enjoy playing and what do I want to do?” she said.
English (US)