Designation Detr@it
Twitter Coming To Detroit
ech giant Twitter is coming
to Detroit. The company an-
nounced that its first Michi-
gan location will be based in
the M@dison Building, owned by Rock
Ventures LLC, the umbrella entity
formed to provide operational coor-
dination, guidance and integration of
Dan Gilbert's portfolio of companies,
investments and real estate.
San-Francisco-based Twitter's
Detroit office will house a team of
employees whose primary focus will
be helping marketers and advertising
agencies in Detroit leverage Twitter's
Promoted Products suite of advertis-
ing products. Twitter expects to hire
more employees over time as it grows
its Detroit presence.
"Detroit's emerging mix of auto-
motive and digital cultures made it
a natural location for Twitter's new-
est office," said Adam Bain, Twitter's
president of global revenue. "We're
excited to work face-to-face with the
city's most established brands and
happy to play a role in Downtown
Detroit's digital renaissance."
Rock Ventures' full-service property
management firm, Bedrock Real Estate
Services LLC, helped recruit Twitter
and brokered the company's lease.
In the last 18 months, Rock Ventures
and Bedrock has helped nearly 40
new-economy companies find a home
in Downtown Detroit.
"Twitter coming Downtown is exact-
ly the kind of innovative company
Detroit needs to advance our vision
of becoming one of the most exciting
high-tech and Web-centered corridors
of growth and activity found any-
where," said Gilbert, chairman of Rock
Ventures and Quicken Loans, and
majority owner of the NBA's Cleveland
Cavaliers.
"Twitter chose Detroit because of
the city's growing, young and energet-
ic environment. This is further proof
that the country is starting to wake up
and take notice — if you want to cre-
ate a thriving, growing tech business,
Downtown Detroit is one of the best
places to be," Gilbert added.
❑
Maestro Slatkin working with
Civic Youth Ensembles students
in the Music Box.
Fisher Foundation Gives
S 500,000 To DSO
T
Donation enables Detroit Symphony musicians
to work one-on-one with young students.
he Max M. & Marjorie S.
Fisher Foundation recently
made a $500,000 gift to the
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
that will allow DSO musicians to work
directly with young people in the
community.
"Detroit needs the DSO now more
than ever," said Marjorie S. Fisher, co-
founder of the foundation with her late
husband, Max M. Fisher. "Our family is
deeply committed to ensuring the next
generation of children and families in
the Detroit region has access to vibrant
cultural programs."
The Fisher Foundation gift will fund
a variety of initiatives, including Civic
Youth Ensembles Sectionals, Inspira-
tion Days, the inaugural Avanti Summer
MusicFest and educational electives for
students participating in the Interlo-
chen 50th Anniversary Tour. Each one
of these initiatives gives young musi-
4
April 19 a 2012
cians the unique opportunity to learn
personally from DSO's talented musi-
cians in small, intimate groups.
"We are more than grateful to the
Fisher Foundation for its continuing
commitment to the DSO," said DSO
Music Director Leonard Slatkin. "Bring-
ing music to the young people of our
community is vital to this organization
and Marjorie Fisher's continued vision
is to be applauded by all."
"We are so pleased to acknowledge
the Fisher Foundation's support of the
DSO's commitment to music educa-
tion, training and access," said Anne
Parsons, DSO President and CEO.
"While our DSO musicians have long
been engaged in these activities on an
individual basis, this program offers
a unique opportunity to increase the
partnership of the passions and talents
of our artists with the interests and
needs of our community."
Two cornerstone initiatives that will
be funded by the Fisher Foundation gift
are sectionals for young musicians par-
ticipating in the Civic Youth Ensembles
program and Inspiration Days. More
than 600 young musicians partici-
pating in the Civic Youth Ensembles
program have already received person-
alized coaching from DSO musicians.
Instrumental sectionals were held in
October, January and March.
Many DSO musicians have welcomed
the opportunity to work directly with
students in preparation for their ensem-
ble performances at the Max M. Fisher
Music Center. Also, DSO musicians have
been leading weekly chamber music
coaching sessions for a group of young
musicians in the Civic Orchestra.
Several "Inspiration Days" were led by
DSO musicians during March and will
continue through April and May. "Inspi-
ration Days" are visits by DSO musicians
to classrooms and ensembles of young
musicians. These particular "Inspira-
tion Days" are connected to the DSO's
Power of Dreams early string training
program. During one of these sessions,
DSO musicians speak about their lives,
demonstrate their instrument, discuss
their inspiration for becoming a musi-
cian and answer questions from the
audience. Sessions, benefiting students
ages 8-17, take place at Wayne State
University and University Prep Academy
High School in Detroit.
The gift from the Fisher Foundation
also makes possible two new collabora-
tions. On March 22, 200 students from
Interlochen Arts Academy performed
a free concert at Orchestra Hall as part
of the academy's 50th Anniversary
Tour. Those students participated in a
series of elective seminars created and
led by DSO musicians. Topics included
"Auditioning for a professional orches-
tra," "The business of a professional
musician" and "Yoga for musicians." A
"jazz jam Session" was also offered to
interested students.
The other new program will be the
Avanti Summer MusicFest, planned for
July 16-21 at Derby Middle School in
Birmingham. This DSO musician-initi-
ated project, developed and supported
by the DSO and Save Our Symphony,
will serve 140 diverse students from
Metro Detroit. In addition to a Chamber
Orchestra and Chamber Music concert
featuring DSO musicians, the program
will include instrumental instruction for
high school students, culminating in a
performance at Orchestra Hall on July
21 where students will share the stage
with their DSO mentors. L-J
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