Fridays at Nollen Plaza

This past Friday was another a beautiful day in the plaza. The entire cast of the Belin ensemble was there to play Brahms’ Quintet Op. 88.

Phillis Fair and Mac Danielson are two retirees from the Des Moines area who enjoy their Friday afternoons in Nollen plaza. “[We’ve] been coming for years and really enjoy it,” Fair said. “It’s our date day, we come down every Friday and don’t make any other plans.”

I notice people down for the performances young and old, it’s a great thing to see the variety of people that come out to take in the music and maybe have some lunch. I would invite anyone I know to come down. If you’re ever looking to catch up with an old friend, or want to hang out with someone you don’t see enough join us for the lunch hour. We have umbrellas for shade and cushions to sit on at out information table. There is always a relaxing feel and plenty of room to spread out, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy the music. I hope to see everyone I have met at the performances along with many more new faces for this Friday’s noon hour.

Jason Link, Belin Quartet Intern

Jason's View

This past Friday was another beautiful day in the plaza. I had initially heard rain, but as the day bloomed it became the best day one could hope for. We arrived downtown to set up around 11:00. In the half hour or so it took us to get ready the crowd started to gather from inside the buildings or from wherever. The children were out to play this Friday as they got the legs wet in the clean water of the plaza.

Our guest was Sophia Ahmad of the Des Moines Register who introduced the Quartet and elaborated a little on the pieces chosen for the day. It was another great lunch hour for the plaza!


Prior to my internship with the Quartet I hadn't known of these free performances. Two shows in and I am loving the atmosphere and the great music. It is a great place filled with the music from the masters of yesteryear and the light chatter of the noon hour. The traffic still flows and the hustle and the bustle of downtown business still exists on Locust and beyond; but, inside the plaza it feels like a community coming together to get away for a moment, it's fantastic.

If you are looking for your new lunch spot or a place to take a date, check out the quartet: we'd love to have you.

Jason Link - 2009 Belin Quartet Intern

CMA Annual Meeting

Last night was the Annual Meeting for Civic Music Association. A big "thank you" to Proof for hosting us with wonderful food and wine!

It was a perfect evening filled with reflections from the 2008/09 Season and excitement for the 85th Anniversary Season. It was amazing to me how much we could celebrate when times have, quite frankly, been very tough.

The current economy has made it very difficult for us, especially in the area of fundraising. Corporations and individual donors are cutting back, or in some cases, not giving at all. Those cuts are very deep!

However, during the 2008/09 Season we had significant increases in subscriptions, memberships and single ticket sales. This tells me people still love what we are doing, and that is what is important!

I know this fiscal year is going to be just as difficult as last, but I am up for the challenge! I encourage you to support Civic Music Association in anyway you can. Buy a ticket to a concert, check out a free Belin Quartet concert, or give a donation. Any support helps and is appreciated.

Here we come 85th Anniversary Season! Time to celebrate great music in Des Moines!

Belin Quartet Kicks off the Season

My name is Jason Link and I am the first year intern with the Belin Quartet for the 2009 season. Since I started two months ago I have enjoyed working with Calla Whipp, Carrie Clogg, and all of the others I have been fortunate to meet with. Being interviewed by Channel 13’s Patrick Dix, sending out press releases, and everything else has been really fun.

This past Friday was the first performance of the season and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The work we put into preparing for the season was well worth it. On Friday it was great to see everyone relaxing, and enjoying the entertainment. The weather could not have been any more perfect with the sun shining and a cool breeze cutting through the plaza. It was quite a diverse crowd: some with their family, some enjoying their noon-time break at the plaza with friends, and some simply taking in the music and the atmosphere.

I am looking forward to this Friday’s performance, and hope to see everyone that made it down to the last show again this week.

If anyone has questions or comments about the quartet or the Civic Music Association, please feel free to stop by the information table before, during, or after the performance. I would love to talk to you!