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    Peter Grimes is Mercedes Smith's goodbye

    Forget one time at band camp: This flutist is hardcore

    Joel Luks
    Nov 6, 2010 | 10:58 am
    • Mercedes Smith
      Photo by Felix Sanchez
    • Mercedes Smith is leaving Houston — and selling her Vespa.
      Photo by Vika Filippov

    Can being a classical musician be hardcore?

    It is the highly competitive aspect of gaining employment in the classical music field that it makes those in the industry often say that one wins a job rather than finds or gets one.

    A feat not unlike making it as professional athlete, the comparison is rather accurate when you look at the individual statistics between wishful candidates and available opportunities, as well as the amount of training, dedication and perseverance that is required from those who decide to embark in this comparatively narrow musical journey.

    Perhaps the flute does not have the most athletic of connotations, tainted a bit by the overused “one time at band camp” colloquialism. After all, it’s a flute. It is thought of as somewhat (shall I dare say it?) feminine instrument.

    But its mastery, or the mastery of any instrument for that matter, is dependent on the precise development of minute muscles, some which others do not use and often are not even consciously aware they exist.

    So, can being a flutist be hardcore?

    We sit with the stylish and sassy Mercedes Smith, principal flute of Houston Grand Opera (HGO) and Houston Ballet and find out what it takes to tear it up, flutistically speaking, after winning two major auditions.

    An accomplishment that could be compared to an Olympic achievement, Smith took the $5000 first prize for the 2010 Young Artist Competition organized by the National Flute Association (the other and more culturally inclined NFA) as well as the position of principal flute with the Pacific Symphony in Orange County, California.

     CultureMap: Winning a competition is a huge accomplishment. Winning an audition a week later is unheard of. How were you able to prepare such different repertoire in a short period of time and come out on top?

     Mercedes Smith: Musicians are like athletes. If you take any time off at all, you suck. You have to be in shape, and I feel like that's how I was able to get through both the Young Artist Competition and the Pacific Symphony audition a week later. I could pull it together and do it.

    I put all the stress and work prior, and then let my body relax and do what it had learned. The mental preparation is similar to many solo sports, whereas orchestra performance can be compared to team situations.

     CM: Athletes are considered cool while classical musicians are thought of as pseudo dorks. Is it possible to change that perception?

     MS: I was the ultimate super dork. In Plano, I was in public school through sixth grade where I started to play the flute. We moved to Mountainburg, Arkansas, population circa 400. The rural school was literally one building for all grades, so my parents decided to home-school me through high school.

    When you are home schooled, you get through material much quicker, so I had time to practice three to four hours a day. I was so competitive that all I did was music. I definitely wasn't one of the cool kids. To this day I'm still surprised I managed to develop the social skills necessary to function in the real world. I have no idea how I made it out.

    And to answer your question, yes, it is possible to change the dork perception. Classical music is a very sophisticated field and there are many musicians out there that are very polished and refined.

     CM: Moving to New York to study at the Manhattan School of Music must have been a culture shock. How did you adjust?

     MS: It was more like thank God, I totally fit in here. But I was still trying to find myself. And with all the freedom in the world and being in New York city, life was crazy.

    When I was a freshman, the dorms were the top three floors of this seven-story building, while the bottom floors were rented, lets say for short periods of time. It was full of very colorful personalities.

     CM: You won your current position at a very young age of 20. Do you have a favorite memory when you first moved to Houston in 2003?

     MS: I’ll never forget one of my first performances with Houston Ballet. With me, when I have a disaster, it’s usually not funny.

    I parked my car when one of those infamous Houston torrential downpours with heavy winds started. I knew my umbrella wouldn’t hold up, so I made a run for it. Losing a shoe, which floated down the street, and arriving completely soaked, it was a lady in the wardrobe department who found a long sleeve pajama-like black shirt for me to perform in.

    It wasn’t one of my finest moments, and my bare legs were showing. Luckily, my clothes were dry by the first intermission so I could run backstage quickly and change. Good thing most people don't notice those of us in the orchestra pit!

     CM: I have always wondered how performers get through the Nutcracker season. How do you keep yourself focused when playing the same piece day after day?

     MS: There is actually a group of people in the orchestra that make a schedule of things we can do to keep us from going insane. There is crazy sock day, crazy tie day, and they used to have crazy big hair day, but they banned it due to visibility issues with the conductor, I think. The five days of secret santa is always fun. There is also a poetry reading night, Chanukah night, trivia night, and snacks. It’s really mostly about the food and all of this happens at intermission.

    We do about 35 performances between Thanksgiving and New Years and although I can play it in my sleep, I can still makes mistakes.

     CM: What will you miss most about Houston?

     MS: Definitely all the friendships I have made here over the years. I have a great life here. Cost of living is low, I own a house, a dog, I live close to work and I drive a Vespa. It is definitely easier to live here than other places.

    As much as I am looking forward to playing standard orchestral repertoire, I am thankful I had the opportunity to perform many operas and ballets that otherwise I would never have had the chance to play.

    My last performance run with HGO is Britten’s Peter Grimes (which plays Saturday, Wednesday and Friday night at Wortham Theater Center) will be bittersweet. It’s a great work with very challenging individual parts.

    I start my work in OC in December.

    Do you know anyone that wants to buy a Vespa?

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    These are the 14 best things to do in Houston this weekend

    Craig D. Lindsey
    Jul 16, 2025 | 6:30 pm
    Goo Goo Dolls
    Photo courtesy of Goo Goo Dolls
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    This weekend, it’s all about music, comedy, celebration, and getting free chicken.

    The Goo Goo Dolls and Kam Franklin will have live concerts. Mo Amer and Kym Whitley will be doing back-to-back stand-up shows. Little Jewford will pay tribute to Kinly Friedman with a live show. Karbach Brewing is bringing back Frida Fest. And Nando PERi-PERi will salute Nelson Mandela Day by giving free chicken and fries to whoever donates some canned goods.

    So, let’s ease on down the road and see what’s popping this weekend.

    Thursday, July 17

    Little Jewford's Sentimental Journey: Remembering Kinky Friedman
    Little Jewford's Sentimental Journey will highlight songs from Kinky Friedman's catalog and the Great American Songbook. Little Jewford will also share a few of his favorite memories of Kinky and stories from their travels. Little Jewford was eight years old when he met Kinky Friedman at Echo Hill Ranch in 1958. They began a friendship and musical pairing that would last more than 60 years. Little Jewford is also an accomplished pianist with a unique, entertaining style all his own. 7 pm.

    River Oaks Theatre presents Film Strip: Barbarella
    Grimm and Ghoulia, headmistresses of The Sisterhood of Lili St. Cyr, present another monthly screening of a cult movie, preceded by a rotating cast of burlesque beauties. This time around, we have Jane Fonda starring in this erotic, space-age, comic-book adaptation from 1968, where she’s a space traveler tasked with finding and stopping the evil Durand-Durand. BTW, quoting and singing along with the film is encouraged. Surprise gags and performances may take place during the film. 8 pm.

    Goo Goo Dolls in concert
    You can go back to the 2000s this weekend, as rock band Goo Goo Dolls will be performing in Sugar Land's Smart Financial Centre. Currently on the road for their Summer Anthem Tour, the Grammy-nominated, diamond-certified rockers (best known for “Iris,” one of many millennial pop ditties guitar-playing frat guys played for sorority girls at parties back in the day) are also at work on their 15th studio album. Dashboard Confessional, another rock outfit who rose to prominence during the Bush II era, will be the opening act. 8 pm.

    Friday, July 18

    Nelson Mandela Day at Nando’s Peri-Peri
    In honor of Nelson Mandela Day on Friday, Nando’s Peri-Peri is turning compassion into action with a nationwide food drive, rewarding guests with free flame-grilled chicken and Peri Chips in exchange for non-perishable food donations. At the Houston locations in Post Oak and Katy, donations will go to Second Servings, the city’s only perishable food rescue organization. Second Servings is also collecting donations to support those affected by the devastating floods that recently impacted Central Texas. 3 pm.

    Mo Amer: El Oso Palestino Tour
    Palestinian-American stand-up comedian (and hometown boy made good) Mo Amer may have wrapped up the second and final season of his acclaimed Netflix show Mo this year. But that doesn’t mean the man hasn’t stopped bringing the funny. Before he heads off to do two back-to-back shows at the Dubai Comedy Festival, he’ll do an early show right here in H-Town, as part of his El Oso Palestino Tour. As of press time, only a limited number of standing room only tickets remain. 7 pm.

    Punch Line Houston presents Kym Whitley
    Kym Whitley knew she was blessed with the gift to make people laugh after Redd Foxx told her she had “the comedic goods.” The comedienne and former host of BET talk show Oh Drama! has appeared in such movies as The Nutty Professor and Next Friday. She’s also done guest shots on My Wife and Kids, Two Broke Girls, That’s So Raven, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, on an episode that saved a man from going to death row. She even appeared in a Netflix documentary about it. 7:30 and 9:45 pm (7 and 9:15 pm Saturday).

    A.D. Players presents The Wizard of Oz
    Since we’re all still in a Wicked frame of mind, A.D. Players presents a stage version of the L. Frank Baum classic. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Cowardly Lion, and Toto travel the universe of Dorothy’s imagination, crossing over the rainbow to the beautiful land of Oz. To find her way home, Dorothy must follow the yellow brick road to find the Wizard. But the Wicked Witch of the West threatens to destroy these newfound friends as they make their journey. Through Sunday, August 10. 7:30 pm (2 and 7:30 pm Saturday; 2 pm Sunday).

    Saturday, July 19

    Houston Pets Alive! And Trust Guss Injury Lawyers present Puppy Palooza
    Houston Pets Alive! and Trust Guss Injury Lawyers team up for Puppy Palooza this weekend, at the Houston Pets Alive! headquarters. Houstonians are invited to a family-friendly adoption event where attendees can meet up to 50 adorable puppies of all sizes, breeds, and personalities, looking for their forever homes. The event not only offers a chance to welcome a new furry friend into your life, but also supports Houston’s local shelters by helping reduce overcrowding and giving at-risk pets a second chance.

    Moody Center for the Arts presents Summer Jam
    Moody's annual Summer Jam will feature art activities, galleries to explore, an indoor farmer’s market, local food vendors, and more. The event includes access to Figurative Histories and Collective Memories as well as programming with Black art/culture reference library The Reading Room. In addition to a scavenger hunt, face painting, and bubble play, Red Bird Press will lead a printmaking activity for the duration of the event. Noon.

    Karbach Brewing Co. presents Frida Fest
    Karbach Brewing Co. is bringing back its annual Frida Fest, a two-day celebration honoring art icon Frida Kahlo through art, fashion, and community. In partnership with nonprofit MuXerhtx, Karbach’s biergarten will transform into a vibrant cultural hub. Saturday’s festivities will include an art show, a fashion show, and a lookalike contest, while Sunday will have a mariachi performance, a flower-making workshop, and a DJ playing beats. Saturday attendees will get first access to exclusive Frida Fest glassware. 1 pm (11 am Sunday).

    The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston presents Iolanthe
    The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston, Houston’s longest-running opera company, will present Iolanthe, a hallmark of Gilbert and Sullivan’s signature satire that cheerily blends fantasy and pointed social commentary. It skewers the British legal system, the House of Lords, and Victorian sensibilities with clever wit and a charming score. Iolanthe (pronounced "eye-oh-LAN-thee") is a comic opera sung in English and is enjoyable for all ages. Through Sunday, July 27. 7 pm (7 pm Friday, 2:30 pm Sunday).

    Sunday, July 20

    National Ice Cream Day
    National Ice Cream Day is this Sunday, and these are just some of the several places around town marking the occasion with deals and specials. The Sunrise House in Montrose has both an ice cream-topped waffle and an affogato. Both locations of The Pit Room will take $2 off any creation made with Blue Bell ice cream. Asian American diner Agnes and Sherman will be serving root beer floats and banana splits. Houston-area locations of Lick Honest Ice Creams will donate 10 percent of sales to Buffalo Bayou Partnership. All four Houston-area locations of Jeni’s will add its new sundae fudge sauce for free to any scoop. (Times and locations vary.)

    The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore
    Marlee Matlin became the first deaf actor to win an Oscar for her performance in Children of a Lesser God. In this new documentary, she discusses her personal and professional struggles — including her meteoric rise to fame in a predominantly hearing industry, a tumultuous high-profile relationship, getting sober, and years of being overlooked by Hollywood. Through split-screen interviews with both deaf and hearing contributors, the film weaves a poignant narrative of Matlin’s career, highlighting her tireless fight for inclusion. 5 pm.

    Dan Electro’s presents Kam Franklin & Friends
    Kam Franklin and a bunch of her musical pals will be performing this weekend at Dan Electro’s. Best known for belting powerful vocals as the lead singer of Gulf Coast soul band The Suffers, this dynamic interdisciplinary artist is also a passionate activist for justice and equity — amplifying Black, queer, femme, and non-binary voices across the arts. She’ll be joined by Sergio Trevino, Louis Morales, Sara Van Buskirk, Uncle Tino, and Blacknintendo. 7:30 pm.

    Goo Goo Dolls
      
    Photo courtesy of Goo Goo Dolls

    Goo Goo Dolls will play in Sugar Land July 17, 2025.

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