Missouri Classical Music News and Notes

The composer's inspiration for "Concertino for Cell Phones and Orchestra" came from every day sounds.

"He was sitting in the airport one day and hearing this cacophony of cell phones going on around him and being a musical person he thought how interesting it would be to incorporate something from modern technology into the symphony orchestra," said Kanani May, Missouri Symphony Orchestra.

Everyone can use cell phones to make phone calls or take video images, but the Missouri Symphony Orchestra is focusing on the tones. A soloist uses a pre-programmed phone as his musical instrument, but music wasn't just coming from the stage. Green and red lights told audience members when to play their ring tone during the piece.

"It was fun because you were really involved in the piece," said Karen Yates, Jefferson City resident.