Geoff Maingart a Concertmaster and violinmaker

By Casey Kehoe

Hollywood,CA(Hollywood Today)12/30/11/—T’was the night after Christmas…. an orchestra was stirring in this Doctor’s house…. His musical friends, his children, and spouse….

….All contributed to a fourteen year-old tradition by performing Handel’s Messiah in this world- renowned Urologist’s abode.  Dr. Sloan’s Los Feliz living room was transformed into the most intimate symphony hall that any of us will ever experience.

The exact location has to remain a secret to prevent social media interlopers from over-crowding this truly magical event. Mostly professional musicians and their students took part in this joyous celebration of classical music.  Sheet music was passed out to all the attendees.

Musicians as old as seventy and as young as twelve made up the orchestra and chorus. They were lead by Frank Fetta the conductor of the Culver City Symphony.  Peter Marsh, the retired Chairman of Chamber Music at U.S.C. brought several of his young protégées. Geoff Maingart a Concertmaster and violinmaker is a mainstay in the string section.  Dr. Sloan’s wife and daughter, both practicing attorneys, played the piano and sang respectively.  Even boyhood friend and fellow Chicago public school music prodigy Dr. Wayne Gradman, a Vascular Surgeon took a turn on the piano.

In fact most of the people in that living room play for major orchestras or a are well known studio musicians and singers.   As Dr. Sloan pointed out these people were spending their only day off during the Holiday Season playing for the sheer joy of it.  That’s why it always takes place the day after Christmas.

After a dinner break, with food provided by the host and Players themselves, the orchestra reassembled to play the second half of  “The Messiah”.  When the Hallelujah Chorus was sung and accompanied by trumpets. You could imagine that angels had descended to Los Feliz.  Then the group split up and formed a chamber orchestra and a string quartet and continued playing in two separate locations in the Old Spanish house.  Finally at about one in the morning the musicians disbanded, only because Dr. Sloan had to perform surgery the next morning at nine.

These extraordinary individuals make it clear that music programs all over this country are vitally important to our cultural heritage.  It is paramount that we don’t cut these from our scholastic budgets in this challenging economic time.  Dr. Sloan and his friends are a prime example of the benefits music as a part of a well-rounded education.  Even his twelve-year-old grandson Leo is studying the Double Bass at King Middle School as well as participating in Flea of “The Red Hot Chilli Peppers” Silver lake Music Conservatory.