We had the good fortune of connecting with Elliot Moore and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elliot, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

I am so excited to talk to you about the creation process of my new non-profit, the Music & Moore Foundation! Like many people, the pandemic was a time for me to take stock and reflect on where I was in my life, what was meaningful to me, and how I wanted to make a lasting contribution to society.

At the beginning of the pandemic, I saw music students across the country leaving their schools — often without their instruments — attempting to continue their school music lessons via distance learning. It pained me to think of the students and their teachers struggling to find resources and inspiration during the early days of the pandemic. I quickly made a set of ten conducting tutorial videos meant to engage, challenge and inspire children who were interested in music but no longer had access to their instruments.

As the pandemic continued into the concert season, I wanted to find ways to keep music enthusiasts engaged, so I created a TV show that was a mashup of Mr. Rogers and World News Tonight.

Throughout all of this, my new mission and vision began to coalesce: I realized that fostering a lifelong love of music experienced by all with programming designed to engage diverse audiences from childhood through adulthood was what moved me. To realize the goals that I had set forth, I created the Music & Moore Foundation with programming that includes a children’s books series, an instrument donation program, a composer commissioning program, and a TV show. I am excited by the possibilities of demystifying classical music into approachable simplicity and creating a lifelong love of music for a broad and diverse audience from childhood through adulthood.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

When I began conducting, I quickly realized that all of the musicians shared a desire to be of service to the composer. Therefore, by cultivating an approach to rehearsing that communicated to the orchestra that we are all colleagues with a common objective to bring forth the composer’s musical intentions, there quickly became a shared path towards our performance goals.

Ultimately, music-making is about creating the space where music becomes a catalyst that deepens the awareness of our shared humanity. Sometimes, connecting with people is about communicating to them what the music is about and how it pertains to their lives. At other times, having such venerability to the music that I become a vessel to the composer and their music is the link that connects with people. There is no doubt that the most extraordinary achievement during my tenure at the Longmont Symphony Orchestra was when we created what we call our “Gentle Nutcracker.” It is a sensory-friendly version of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker that we reworked for neurodiverse audience members and their families. The letters that we have received from parents who express their gratitude to us for allowing them to “come as they are” and for creating a safe space for them to have a shared experience as a family during the holiday season are moving to everyone involved.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

People come from all over to experience the exciting things that Longmont offers. One of the biggest draws is the incredible array of craft breweries. While my favorite is Left Hand Brewery — and I would highly recommend their Nitro Stout — any craft brewery aficionado would want to take a ride on the BrewHop Trolly to learn more about the incredible brewing culture of Longmont.

My favorite local restaurant is La Vita Bella — their award-winning chef, extensive wine selection, delicious cocktails, and superb ambiance make this my go-to restaurant for every occasion. Located in the heart of downtown Longmont, this is a place you don’t want to pass up!

Longmont’s proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park puts the great outdoors at your doorstep. While I love hiking, spending the afternoon fly fishing in Moraine Valley would be high on my list. Nothing recharges me more than wading into the river’s cool water as it winds its way through one of the Rocky Mountains’ most majestic valleys!

For great culture, I recommend taking in a performance by the Longmont Symphony Orchestra. Whether performing fresh interpretations from the great repertoire of the past in Vance Brand Civic Auditorium or compelling music by living composers in Longmont Museum’s Stewart Auditorium, know that the top-notch musicians of the orchestra will move you.

For late-night fun, there is no better place than The Speakeasy. With crafty cocktails that will knock your socks off, an underground atmosphere of the prohibition era, and their superb stage for jazz and popular music, this establishment is for anyone who loves a great late-night scene.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I am indebted to my mentor, Kenneth Kiesler, for sharing his profound knowledge of music and conducting with me, as well as for shaping my philosophy about the importance of being of service to others through music. Through his guidance, I have based many of my thoughts on leadership.

But of course, there are countless others whose support has led to my success. At some point, I realized that I would never know it all, have all the answers, or be “perfect.” Knowing my strengths and accepting my weaknesses has led me to surround myself with friends, colleagues, and coworkers whom I can lean on for support, mentorship, and guidance. People whose help has made all the difference in my life are the longtime executive director of the Longmont Symphony, Kay W. Lloyd, and Music & Moore Foundation Board Members.

Most importantly, I credit my wife for the creation of our insanely joyous life; Polly is my angel. Our crazy lives are filled with love and gratitude for our two beautiful children (our 7-month-old son, Hendrix, and our two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Dessa) and our four sweet dogs ranging from our 5-pound chihuahua to our 120-pound Newfoundland.

At the time of the photo, this sweet girl had an agressive cancer. It just so happened that her “make a wish” was to conduct a Beethoven symphony. We made the wish come true and I am thrilled to say that she is doing exceptionally well… cancer is in remission and she is a “normal” 9 year old now 🙂Website: www.elliotmoore.com

Instagram: elliotmoore

Twitter: @ElliotConductor

Facebook: @elliothmoore

Other: www.elliotmoore/foundation

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