Link Up Performance Featured 2,000 Local Elementary School Students SINFONIA GULF COAST SWELLS TO AN ORCHESTRA OF 2,000 MEMBERS FOR SPECIAL INTERACTIVE STUDENT PERFORMANCE OF LINK UP: THE ORCHESTRA MOVES On March 8 the Emerald Coast Convention Center in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. was transformed into an electrifying concert hall when Sinfonia Gulf Coast — the only fully professional non-profit orchestra on the Emerald Coast — presented its 9th live Link Up concert performance “The Orchestra Moves,” a national program presented in partnership with New York’s Carnegie Hall Weill Institute of Music. This year’s Link Up program showcased the talents of more than 2,000 local 3rd-5th grade students from Okaloosa and Walton Counties performing on recorder and singing. The concert was conducted by Sinfonia Gulf Coast Maestro Fuller. With recorders in hand, the students performed from their seats when given their cue by Maestro Fuller to join the Sinfonia Gulf Coast orchestra for a range of pieces from Danzón No. 2 by Arturo Márquez, The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss and Toreador from Georges Bizet’s Carmen and others. But these inspired kids didn’t stay in their seats, at this spirited performance they were up out of their chairs singing, dancing choreographed moves they have been practicing for months. This curriculum is geared towards 3rd-5th grade students, and in many cases locally, is the only education that they receive during the school year. The theme of this year’s Link Up program was centered around movement. Students learn how we can perceive... Read More

A stirring new portrait of Country music, Will Thompson’s parodical new single “Checklist” is truly the refreshing dose the genre needs A beloved and soulful genre, Country music has long been known for its relatable lyrics and catchy tunes. However, the Country music world has also been long criticized for being formulaic and repetitive, with ‘most songs on the radio sounding the exact same.’ However, a divergent and disruptive force in the music world aims to undo the cycle. Will Thompson, a talented songwriter, and musician has taken it upon himself to poke fun at the genre’s cliches and buzzwords with the drop of his new single, “Checklist”. Written and composed as a playful song, rife with exciting wordplay and compelling instrumentation, alongside co-writer Ashley Watson, Thompson initially penned “Checklist” as a joke. However, after performing it at the Annual Songwriters Festival in Panama City, Florida, the captivating track was met with an overwhelming audience reaction, convincing the artist that he had something special. Woven seamlessly with a catchy melody and lyrics that will make you laugh out loud, “Checklist” is an ironic, enthralling single which truly has “every word you have to say on a country radio hit.” Swiftly becoming a fan favorite at Thompson’s live shows, “Checklist” embodies Thompson’s passion for music, and displays it as a force beyond parodying the industry’s tropes. Cementing his position as a versatile songwriter who writes in every genre and wants to blur the lines between dynamic sounds, the new single is... Read More