TAKE3
& Company
Violin/Vocals - Piano - Cello
With a flair for the wild and unexpected, the genre-defying trio, TAKE3, brings the refinement of a rigorous classical music background and infuses it with rock-star charisma. Known for their infectious and down to earth onstage personalities, this group leaves their indelible mark on captivated crowds around the country, performing their arrangements of top pop hits, Americana, Oldies, and everything in between. Under the leadership of violinist Lindsay Deutsch, TAKE3 has had an impressive touring history, traveling to most of the 50 states in large and intimate settings. No strangers to the stage as individuals, they have made an impact on the music scene as soloists, touring the world with Yanni, recording tracks for film and television (including as featured soloists on the Netflix hit, “The Witcher”) and as soloists in front of Symphony Orchestras. TAKE3’s core group includes violin/vocals, cello and piano; dancers may also be included. TAKE3 & Company makes it their mission to impart their love, passion and joy in music-making to all who hear them, using their artistic ability as a conduit for storytelling. TAKE3 offers shows with full orchestra, small backup orchestra and percussion, or the trio only.
Videos
QUOTES
“TAKE3 combines exceptional musicianship - of the highest order - with entertaining and approachable music that appeals to listeners of all ages. The three performers are extremely charismatic, and connect beautifully with the audience. We had two standing ovations and many positive comments from our audience, the most common one being: “when can we have them back“. This is a show that will appeal to classical music and popular music audiences alike; it is the perfect way to bring in new and younger audience members. I can’t recommend them highly enough!” Nick Palmer, Music Director Lafayette Symphony (IN), North Charleston POPS! (SC), Evening Under the Stars Orchestra (MA) Daytona Pops (FL), Principal Pops Conductor-Altoona Symphony (PA)
"Lindsay Deutsch and TAKE3 are a spectacular trio who perform ultra high-class, entertaining pops, all of which is born from a well-schooled, accomplished classical music tradition. During this most difficult time, their online “Covid-19 concert", recorded especially for us at Music in the Mountains, was exactly what we needed to keep the musical flame alive for our loyal patrons here in Durango." Greg Hustis, Artistic director, Music in the Mountains
"To say TAKE3 was a hit would be an understatement to be sure. In all the years I've been associated with the Concert Association, I've never had as many compliments. They were a smashing success!"
Chris Seidel, Palm Springs Community Concert Association
"We were blown away by their talent and their ability to communicate with the audience. I loved all the songs they played. We got loads of good feedback from the audience." Cindy Parks, Chisholm Trails Arts
"TAKE3 is burning hot with Passion, Fashion, and Excitement. A perfect assortment of the classics, pop culture and virtuosity." Bahman Saless, Conductor of the Boulder Chamber Orchestra
"Consummate professionals who are also incredibly warm and personable. They put on an amazing show, and everyone gushed about the show."
Yasuko Taoka, Dean, School of Arts and Humanities, Director of Honors and Interdisciplinary Studies, Wayne State College
"Due in large part to how well they connected with our audience, our members without exception are calling this the best concert they can remember us hosting, and we go back 73 years." Julius "Hap" Botelho, Indian Wells Community Concert Association
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REVIEWS
TAKE3 heats up Burlington Memorial Auditorium
Civic Music's first concert of 2021 warms hearts and minds with popped-up classics.
by Bob Saar - The Hawk Eye
The future came to Burlington Saturday night when Civic Music heralded the beginning of the end of endless coronavirus quarantines.
TAKE3 is violinist Lindsay Deutsch, cellist Mikala Schmitz and pianist Jason Stoll, Californians all, performing on the frigid banks of the frozen Mississippi River, their first live concert in nearly a year.
But it was warm inside the auditorium, and the music on stage was hot.
The musicians were dressed for a winter's-end party: Deutsch in black jeans and tank top, spangled with sequins from her neck to her white tennies, also sparkling; Schmitz in a multi-colored fishscale jumpsuit; Stoll staid by comparison to the women in black pants and an orange satin jungle-pattern shirt. Stoll also operated the drum machine and other musical effects including a background chorus. Three people can do only so much by themselves.
And do they did: The opening instrumental instantly captured the audience, who were hungry for hot music after months of cold isolation. Deutsch pranced and danced and strutted and keened as Schmitz sat demurely at stage left and Stoll bounced and boogied at his keyboard on Deutsch's right.
At times, Deutsch seemed the reincarnation of flautist Ian Anderson of rock band Jethro Tull as she leaped and frolicked and grimaced and grinned.
TAKE3 then put forth a superb rendition of the Ben E. King classic, "Stand By Me" and Deutsch's smooth and hypnotic vocal rendition added to the illusion that the evening was taking place somewhere other than the icebox of Southeast Iowa.
More praise for BMA: the new lasers are fabulous. As TAKE3 drifted along through "Stand By Me," a cloud of blue electric fireflies swirled across the ceiling and back wall as though they'd been drawn by the music instead of the footlights.
A mashup of a pop song and an opera led to the Leonard Cohen classic "Hallelujah," which presented the cello as a haunting solo voice before Schmitz slipped into a duet with Deutsch; the two instruments sounded almost human.Cohen didn't roll over in his grave during the song — he smiled up at the heavens.
"We're going to get back to our roots with Beethoven," Deutsch announced, and the trio crammed six of the maestro's pieces into another mashup. After the "Moonlight Sonata" Stoll jumped into some Mozart and Deutsch ran to the piano to scold him. He just couldn't help himself.
Deutsch said that during the past year of staying off the stage, the group recorded a CD in their homes, a "Quarantine Series" of songs filled with love and hope.
"Imagine if, after this concert, we went home and tried to spread that to our families and friends," she said, and they stepped into the John Lennon classic, "Imagine," which sounded like the best classical chamber music we've ever heard. Lennon wasn't rolling to Deutsch's drawn-out taffy notes — he was imagining he'd found heaven right there on the Big Muddy.
On they went, playing one long set to avoid the risks of mingling during an intermission, sailing through Aaron Copeland before alighting on the Louis Armstrong hit "What a Wonderful World," and our own world came to a quiet stop as Deutsch double-stopped our hearts into oblivion. Quick visits to "Sweet Home Alabama" and Billy Joel's "She's Got A Way" brought the evening into the final turn.
"It's been fantastic to be here," Deutsch said, and the band flattened the crowd with a stunning rendition of the Mediterranean folk song and Dick Dale surfer hit "Misirlou" that brought them to their feet again for a standing ovation.
And Schmitz did something we've never seen at a classical concert before: She got the audience — all of them — to clap along in a non-backbeat lope.
Fantastic!
The encore was marvelous, another mashup between Bach and "Amazing Grace," topped with yet another standing O.
Amazing.
At the very end of the show, Deutsch announced that their previous recordings were available in the lobby — for free, for a donation, for whatever we the audience cared to give.
We could sense her leaning into the future as the group freed themselves of their past to make room for their new visions, just as the rest of the world is preparing to see the sun rise on the dawn of a new era: social gathering.
TAKE3 Wows UNR Audience with Alluring Musicality
by Rylee Jackson - Nevada Sagebrush
Accompanying a packed crowd at the Nightingale Concert Hall on Nov. 7, the TAKE3 performance was bound to be a memorable one filled with a clever intermixing of classical and modern music—and that it was.
Sporting a fiery red, sequined jumpsuit, Deutsch lit up the stage as she kicked off “Despacito,” the first song of the evening, which every one in the crowd instantly recognized.
It was clear that the group has an affinity for intricate mashups. Backed by intense red lighting and the theatrical fog surrounding the stage, their combination of Imagine Dragons’ “Natural” and Georges Bizet’s “Carmen” truly felt like a rock-esque experience. It was incredible to hear how each little nuance was executed and how the intensity of the song heightened toward the end, which coincided with the showmanship of the group as their arms shot up right at the end—causing the crowd to roar with rightfully earned applause.
In between each song, Deutsch would interact with the crowd—telling stories regarding her love for classical music, which showed the group’s passion for all things music. As dramatic and emotionally dynamic the performances were, the trio balanced it out with their sense of humor as they discussed their retirement plans.
Steering away from the fierceness of the mashup, the group turned to a gorgeous rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” which represented their impressive versatility.
The group went on to cram as many Bach and Beethoven hits into one collective song. During the mashup, the pianist jokingly played Mozart—turning into a cute bit where Deutsch stops and corrects him. The trio then transitioned into modern pop hits including the catchy “Sweet Alabama” and eventually, The Beatles’ “Yesterday”—surprising the audience as Deutsch and Metzler put their instruments down for a bit and sang the tune beautifully.
Toward the end of the night, the “Game of Thrones” theme song received the most vocal reaction due to the show being a worldwide phenomenon. The trio’s rendition of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” score was so convincing it made the audience feel like they were in the movie theaters themselves.
Lastly, music from the hit film, “Pulp Fiction,” ended the intricate show on a high note—calling for a tremendous night of undisputed talent from some of the most passionate musicians around.
Guest Musicians Help Symphony Start Year in Style - by Gwenn Friss; Cape Cod Times
HYANNIS – Cape Symphony artistic director/conductor Jung Ho Pak introduced Wednesday’s guest performers as “four wonderful musicians who have a bridge to the past and a pathway to the future.” Nice words, but they could not prepare the audience for how exciting the New Year’s Day party would be.
There were dozens of moments worth mentioning, but each one had a common thread: The guest musicians were so accomplished in classical music that they could easily incorporate modern techniques and twists for a sound that evoked the original piece but also made it bigger.
Violinist Lindsay Deutsch kicked off the guest appearances, arriving on stage in a sequined jumpsuit that gathered every bit of light and cast it back into the audience. Even her flat-bottomed boat shoes were bedazzled. I never think of clothing mattering that much for symphony musicians, but this was a perfect metaphor for her performance style: She played like a column of fire – her head thrown back, her body an extension of the instrument.
During the difficult-to-play “Summer,” from Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” Deutsch moved stealthily on stage, leaning in to play a passage with the orchestra and then pulling back, like dipping one’s toe into the summer creek before fully immersing.
Cellist Leah Metzler and pianist Jason Stoll (of TAKE3) joined for mash-ups of “Natural” and “Despacito,” performances that really showed the potential for mixing music from different centuries.
PHOTOS
Photos by Claire Imler
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PROGRAMS
TAKE3 offers shows with full orchestra, small backup orchestra and percussion, or the trio only.
Skies of
Blue
(dancers optional)
In Skies of Blue, TAKE3 highlights a diverse genre of songs that inspire feelings of hope, love, peace, tolerance, and community. Audiences will leave with a renewed sense of inspiration and positivity that we all need right now as we look towards the brighter future coming our way.
On the Road Again - Willie Nelson
Game of Thrones
Despacito
Pirates of the Caribbean
Imagine - John Lennon
What a Wonderful World
Stand By Me
Yellow by Coldplay
Amazing Grace/Bach Mashup
Imagine Dragons/Carmen Mashup
Hallelujah
Beethoven’s Greatest Hits
Fortnite
She’s Got A Way – Billy Joel
Misirlou – Pulp Fiction
TAKE3 Goes
Classical
Piazzolla Four Seasons
Piazzolla Libertango and Oblivion
Schoenfeld Café Music
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition
Music from “The Witcher”
Medley of Romantic Arias
Saint-Saens, The Swan and others, from Carnival of the Animals
Gershwin – Summertime; It Ain’t Necessarily So
Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet
Schubert Serenade and Ave Maria
All Shook Up:
A Celebration of Oldies
(dancers optional)
Sweet Home Alabama
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Yesterday
Sounds of Silence
Imagine
Best of Billy Joel
Hallelujah
Stand By Me
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
What a Wonderful World
Unchained Melody
Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch
Bohemian Rhapsody
Rockin’ Around the
Christmas Tree
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Nutcracker Medley
Ave Maria/Schubert
All I Want For Christmas Is You
Silent Night
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
O Holy Night/Bach
Hallelujah
Amazing Grace
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
White Christmas
Carol of the Bells
TOUR DATES
Summer, 2021
June 15, 2021 – OK Mozart Festival – Tulsa, OK – Live performance
July 16, 2021 – Music in the Mountains – Durango, CO – Live performance
2021/22 Season
September 18, 2021 – Traverse City, MI
October 1, 2021 – Muskegon, MI
October 2, 2021 – Portage, WI
October 3, 2021 – Quincy, IL
October 5, 2021 – Burlington, IA
October 7, 2021 – Three Lakes, WI
October 8, 2021 – Red Wing, MN
October 9, 2021 – Fergus Falls, MN
October 15, 2021 – Ft Worth, TX
October 23, 2021 – Victoria, TX
November 11, 2021 – Tifton, GA
November 13, 2021 – Eatonton, GA
November 14, 2021 - Newnan, GA
December 18, 2021 – Zanesville, OH
February 7, 2022 – Kirksville, MO
February 9, 2022 – Sun Valley, ID
February 10, 2022 – Ontario, OR
February 11, 2022 – Walla Walla, WA
February 12, 2022 – Whidbey Island, WA
February 13, 2022 – Fox Island, WA
March 3, 2022 – Ft. Collins, CO
March 4, 2022 – Lakewood, CO
March 6, 2022 – Redmond, OR
March 7, 2022 – The Dalles, OR
March 8, 2022 – Portland, OR
March 16, 2022 – Kelowna, BC
March 18, 2022 – Tubac, AZ
March 20, 2022 – Corrales, NM
April 5, 2022 – Ripon, CA
April 7, 2022 – Klamath Falls, OR
April 9, 2022 – Mt. Baker, WA
April 10, 2022 – Yakima, WA
April 28, 2022 – Bangor, ME
April 30, 2022 – Walton, NY
May 1, 2022 – Concord, NH
BIOS
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This crossover band of strings, piano, vocals, and percussion, is led by Yanni's star violin soloist, Lindsay Deutsch. Trained at the world’s top conservatories, these artists took their chops from Beethoven to Bieber and have become known for eclectic programming - from Oldies like Billy Joel and the Beatles, to popular TV and movie hits such as Game of Thrones and Pirates of the Caribbean, to chart topping pop hits by Justin Bieber and Coldplay. TAKE3 still enjoys getting back to their roots of classical programming and takes pride in making this music accessible to audiences who otherwise may not have the opportunity to hear it. These world class artists are much more than great entertainers; they emit deep expression through their performances and connect emotionally with their audiences on a human level.
From their interactive lighting show, to comedic stories of their journey starting out in dungeonous basement practice rooms at classical conservatories, to life changing opportunities which presented themselves and changed their musical aspirations along the way, TAKE3 has left a powerful impact on concert goers all over the nation. Their touring takes them to over 50 American cities each season.
TAKE3 offers shows with dancers, full orchestra, small backup orchestra and/or percussion, or trio only. In addition to extensive touring, the group has garnered accolades for their outreach programs for schoolchildren of all ages, delivering a message of hope, inspiration and of the importance of following dreams with vigorous tenacity.
The artists’ music can be heard throughout Netflix’s popular show, “The Witcher”. Their work on the Sony soundtrack reached No. 1 on the billboard charts and received millions of streams worldwide.
Lindsay Deutsch
Violin/Vocals
With her limitless enthusiasm and vast gifts as a performer and entertainer, American violinist, Lindsay Deutsch, is a charismatic and captivating presence on today’s music scene. She has thrilled audiences world-wide with her passion for music and brilliant display of technique and musicianship.
Lindsay is a much sought-after soloist and entertainer and is presently touring as solo violinist with Yanni - having toured with him in Saudi Arabia and the U.S.. Maestro Jung-Ho Pak, conductor and artistic director of the Cape Symphony Orchestra, says of Lindsay, “A conductor dreams about finding a soloist who understands the essential responsibility of helping change a large community’s view of classical music. In a time when every concert has to be unforgettable and a game changer, Lindsay can make that happen every time.”
Ms. Deutsch frequently appears as guest soloist with American and Canadian symphonies. Ms. Deutsch’s performance of Astor Piazzolla’s “Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jeffrey Kahane, was selected for NPR’s Symphony Cast Program. Her movie credits include playing the solo violin sound track for the movie, “The Good Shepherd” starring Robert De Niro.
Ms. Deutsch received her education from the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles, where she studied under Robert Lipsett. Lindsay Deutsch plays on an 1845 Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume violin.
Mikala Schmitz
Cello
Hailed by San Francisco's Civic Center for her "...professional and highest caliber of playing,"
Los Angeles-based cellist Mikala Schmitz is an avid performer of many different styles of cello
playing. Ms. Schmitz often finds herself crossing over into a variety of musical genres. From jazz
and electronic to classical and baroque, Mikala continues to find new and fascinating
collaborative avenues.
Mikala's work with the English rock group The Last Shadow Puppets took her all over Europe,
and you can hear her on their EP Dream Synopsis. You can also hear her on television shows
such as Netflix's Chef's Table and HBO's The Brink. Ms. Schmitz will resume her award-winning
tenure next Spring with Tim Robbins’s acting troupe, The Actors’ Gang, on a national tour of
their production of The New Colossus, an original one-act play written and directed by Tim
Robbins and members of the cast, with original music by Ms. Schmitz and David Robbins.
Ms. Schmitz holds a B.M. degree from Oberlin College Conservatory, where she studied cello
with Darrett Adkins. Mikala also holds a M.M. degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music,
where she studied with The Cleveland Orchestra's assistant principal cellist.
Jason Stoll
Piano
Southern Californian pianist, Jason Stoll, has garnered many praises and awards for his performances throughout his career. Concert highlights for the upcoming 2019-2020 season include a recital debut in Paris, chamber music, and concerti across the United States, and overseas. Mr. Stoll has also competed internationally and was named a Semi-finalist in the 2015 Dublin International Piano Competition and Finalist in the 2013 American Paderewski Piano Competition.
Mr. Stoll has served on the faculty of the Bronx Conservatory of Music for three years teaching private piano lessons.
Mr. Stoll holds degrees from California State University, Northridge, the Juilliard School, and the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. His principal teachers included John Perry, David Louie, Jerome Lowenthal, Matti Raekallio, Dmitry Rachmanov, and John Roscigno.
Currently, Mr. Stoll is a piano instructor and lecturer at California State University, Northridge, and is also a freelance pianist, masterclass presenter and adjudicator throughout the Los Angeles area.
Sean Ericson and Cindy Giannini
Dancers
Sean Ericson and Cindy Giannini have been dancing together for 5 years. They are active members of the Colorado tango community, performing with the Denver based tango company Parasol Arts; and learning from Colorado based tango masters Nick Jones and Diana Cruz, and Gustavo Naveira and Giselle Anne.
Sean and Cindy are committed instructors, teaching group classes and private lessons in Denver. They believe in teaching all aspects of Tango so that their students have not only a technical understanding of the steps, but have a connected and musical dance as well.
Sean and Cindy recently fell into the competitive aspect of tango, representing the United States at the Mundial de Tango in Buenos Aires after being named the official 2017 USA stage tango champions.
Sophia Barr
Dancer
Sophia Barr is a junior at Chapman University pursuing a BFA in Dance and BA in Strategic and Coorporate Communications with a minor in Peace Studies.
She grew up in Phoenix, Arizona where she began her training in dance at age nine. Some of her previous experiences include the Backhaus Dance summer intensive, Complexions Contemporary Ballet workshop, and modern dance training in Israel this past summer with several companies like Batsheva and Vertigo.
Upon graduation, Sophia aims to go to Europe to develop a career in concert dance and social justice work.
TAKE3 Community Engagement
Our outreach program is designed for students of all ages with our goal being to light a fire within the students that sparks their creativity. Whether they become active future listeners or even performers themselves, a visceral excitement for creativity is what we are after. We have a broad range of teaching and interactive performances that includes instruction in classical, pop, movie music, conducting and story telling.
Segment 1 – “Name That Tune!”- We will be playing short snippets of famous tunes from pop, Classical, movie soundtracks and video games! The moment of recognition is so exciting and everyone is invited to participate together.
Segment 2 – “Let’s Join Hands”- Our audience is invited to join hands in clapping or adding percussion to our performance with handheld instruments such as maracas, tambourine, shakers, mallets, etc... We will be giving a short instruction to students on when and how to include percussive sounds.
Segment 3 – “Once Upon a Time”- Musicians tell stories without words. As performers we create our own stories, but invite our audiences to imagine their own. In fact, we encourage our young audience to listen, feel, think let their imaginations go wild and write it all down. We will invite a few volunteers to come up and narrate their stories as we perform.
Segment 4 – “Picture Perfect”- Pictures are worth a thousand words. Some people see colors, images, scenes, or reminisce on past experiences when listening to music. Our Picture Perfect segment invites students to draw whatever comes to mind. This activity allows students to express themselves freely and provides an outlet for creativity.
For music students – Masterclasses are offered as well as discussions about “Career Paths In Music” and “Practice Techniques”.
Teachers: Please instruct students to be attentive and interactive! We want students to be vocal, active, creative, and imaginative. It would be great to have faculty who are just as interactive to allow students to feel more comfortable. We want everyone to have a great time and a memorable experience, but please do inform students to be respectful to performers and their fellow classmates during the entirety of our program.
Students: Be creative, be bold, listen, learn, laugh and share with friends and family about what you’ve learned!
Materials: Shaker-Mallets- can be pencils/pens against hard textbooks-Maracas-Anything that can create percussive sounds! Even just clapping!
Student activity: Clapping to simple rhythmic patterns-Being interactive during our “Name that Tune!” segment -Creating fun, short stories to the music we perform -Conducting-Drawing/coloring