A bridge between classical and modern

Those of you who read this column every week and the resulting barrage of Speak Out comments and letters to the editor know I have a tendency to step on some toes at times.

To be truthful, some of that toe-stepping is planned, some is merely accidental. And every time it happens, the target on my back (or my face, since that's what column readers see) grows bigger.

Two weeks ago I wrote a column that elicited the most vicious response ever. Apparently a lot of people out there think I'm some kind of uneducated buffoon. That's OK. Let them think that.

What attracted the ire of so many was really a joke. I won't repeat exactly what I said here for fear of opening up somewhat-healed, very nasty wounds, but let's just say it was a hyperbolic statement about my interest in orchestras that didn't sit well with fans of classical music.

But this weekend, I found the missing link -- that musician who bridges the gap between low art and high. She's the girl with the weird name, the one for which many people in Cape have had a special spot of pride in their hearts for several years -- Liesl Schoenberger.

If you don't know who Liesl is, do a search for her extremely different first name on our newspaper Web site. There you will find story after story about her accomplishments on the violin since she was at Notre Dame Regional High School. Words like "prodigy" and "wunderkind" were commonly used to describe her. And for good reason.

Liesl studied since she was just a young child. After graduating from Notre Dame in 2002, she went to the prestigious music school at Indiana University. And last year she was a featured soloist with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Belleville, Ill. Those are just two of her accomplishments in the realm of the classical.

Oh, yeah, she also recently attended a prestigious workshop at Carnegie Hall. Which leads me to what got me to write about Liesl in the first place. This workshop was no classical workshop. Instead, Liesl was studying with bluegrass masters like Bela Fleck and Jerry Douglas. Because not only is she a great classical violinist, she has a passion for bluegrass. She's even put out three of her own bluegrass CDs.

I've been following Liesl's story since I first started working here in December 2004, but I'd never had a chance to actually see her perform until Sunday night at the Christmas Hoot.

The Mike Renick Band is no stranger to my eyes and ears -- as one of the most popular local bands, I've seen them a few times. So imagine my surprise when I walked upstairs at Port Cape to find an extra member in the band -- a female fiddler. "Who is this shredding fiddler?" I thought.

Luckily Sam Blackwell was there to remind me, that's Liesl. I was amazed.

She just seemed to fit naturally with the Renick band. She had great stage presence, jamming out on that violin with visible passion. And of course, the sound was great. I'd never seen Renick's band put on a show as good as that one Sunday night. Sam liked it, too.

Renick tells me Liesl's stint with the band started in summer 2005. She doesn't live in this area any more, but when she's home to see the family, she rocks out with Renick. Liesl's reputation preceded her, and when a mutual friend hooked her up with Renick's band, it was a natural fit.

"She's someone that kind of makes everybody else in the band -- not to be cliche -- but kind of makes them better," Renick said.

I couldn't agree more.

A lesson can be found here -- classical music and modern popular music don't have to conflict. Some people love both. After all, some of the best heavy metal players are classically trained guitarists.

Many people already know this, like Steve Schaffner, who directs the Central High School Orchestra and plays in a rock band on the side. But it's nice to see a young player who can excel in both disciplines.

Keep up the good work, Liesl. We'll see you on the newspaper pages.

Matt Sanders is the Arts & Leisure editor for the Southeast Missourian and the editor of OFF Magazine