ROTEM WEINBERG

ON DISCOVERING THE HEART OF AN ORCHESTRA

As he goes into his fourth year as conductor of Pops, Rotem Weinberg sits down with former Executive Director Grace Cravens to reflect on his time with the orchestra and how Pops has become part of his family:

GRACE: Rotem, how did you hear about the Pops opportunity when you first came to Michigan?

ROTEM: Todd Craven, the former music director, was in my conducting studio. I heard he was conducting Pops, but I didn’t know what Pops was. I couldn’t come to the fall concert, but started asking questions because I knew he was going to graduate. I had participated in bands and orchestras that played pops music growing up in Israel, so I thought Pops would be a great opportunity. When the time came, I applied for the Assistant Music Director position for Winter 2016 term.

GRACE: What was it like working with Todd Craven and then taking over full time?

ROTEM: My first days on the job, I was trying to figure things out – how does Pops work, who is in the Executive Board, what’s their role, why do they have to meet every week? I was very happy to see the excitement and involvement that players had, and how everyone felt like it meant more than just coming to rehearsal. 

My first term was special because it was the 20th anniversary of Michigan Pops. It was a mega-concert where the orchestra played the best music from previous years with interesting videos and guests. It was a great term to be exposed to what Pops was, and I got to conduct a few pieces, including a memorable one with Todd playing the typewriter. 

Todd was a great friend and colleague, and he appreciated my input as an assistant. It was great to work with him and see how he did things. When the time came, I felt ready to take over. 

GRACE: How is being involved with Pops different from your other orchestras/music school "duties"?

ROTEM: I think every orchestra at Michigan has a different vibe, atmosphere, and purpose. Campus Orchestras are a class, which makes things different, and they focus on classical music. The Life Sciences Orchestra is more like a community orchestra with a mixture of life sciences community members and graduate students. Pops is for people that want to play pops music, which could be anything from popular songs to tunes from movies and musicals, as well as classical music. For people that want a more varied musical experience, Pops is the place. 

Outside of the music, Pops is the most concentrated on the social aspect of the orchestra, making it not only a place where people come to play music, but also to feel like part of a family. Let’s face it, if you play in orchestra, you’re not the average college student – you’re part of a special group of nerds. It’s fun to find a place where you’re not just a nerd, because everyone is like you in that way. After three and a half years of observation, I’d say that’s what makes Pops tick.

GRACE: Rotem, what do you think makes Pops special?

ROTEM: Since Pops is student-run (unlike the other orchestras at Michigan), people in the orchestra – whether they’re on the Board or not, feel a different sense of ownership of the ensemble. It’s not like a class that someone organizes for you, but something you do for the group, and the group does for you. The difference in music and structure is something that sets Pops apart and provides members the opportunity to have different levels of leadership, ownership, and sharing ideas. Members have an opportunity to be involved in many ways and to design their own experience.

GRACE: How has Pops shaped you/made an impact on you?

ROTEM: Since I joined Pops my second term at Michigan, I’ve been a part of it most of my time here. Immediately I felt like a part of the group even though I was a conductor. I felt like I could relate to the people. Back then, I was closer in age to the members, which also helped. As the years went by, I got older, but Pops members stayed the same age, and they became more like little siblings or mentees. Not only during rehearsals but at breaks and for the Board, I became someone people could approach for different things, and not only for music. For the Board I was guiding them through, “How do we do this, how do we run an orchestra?” When you’re a student that doesn’t have this kind of experience, I was able to help them navigate how we work together on a large board to run the organization smoothly and effectively. It’s also been an amazing musical experience. Every term we come up with a creative theme and a great program, and each performance I think, “Wow, this is the best one so far.” I’m not sure if that’s the truth or just how I feel at the moment, but the concert is always exciting. It’s fun when you know everyone is there because they want to be there, not because they have to. They’re giving their heart and soul for the group. All of that felt like a home at Michigan. Maybe it was similar to some experiences that I had when I was teaching high schoolers in Israel, somewhere I’d been for many years. 

GRACE: What’s been your favorite Pops memory?

ROTEM: The first time I conducted The Victors at a concert was thrilling. The audience is already hyped up from the last piece on the program, but the cheering after The Victors is roof-shattering, and that’s always very special. The energy the orchestra has at that point in the concert is always incredible. 

Rotem is finishing his Doctor of Music Arts while leading the orchestra into its twenty-fifth season; at the spring concert in 2020, he will officially become the longest tenured conductor in Pops history! In his spare time, Rotem’s biggest hobbies are cooking, eating, and hanging out with his wife Ashley and their cat Bambi.

8/1/19