The executive director of Bay Harbor’s Great Lakes Center for the Arts — a one-time singer and actor — reveals the artists and albums that have influenced him most.
Chris Thile: One of the virtuoso players on an album that changed the world for Matthew Kacergis. (Photo/Jamie Geysbeek)
EDITOR’S NOTE: All musicians and those involved in the music industry can trace their inspiration to key recordings that influenced their careers. Writer Ross Boissoneau today showcases music that changed the world for Matthew Kacergis, executive director of northern Michigan’s Great Lakes Center for the Arts, which hosts a robust summer concert series. Check out his picks and listen to a Spotify playlist of tracks from those albums.
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Matthew Kacergis treads both both sides of the curtain. He trained as a singer and actor, working the front of the stage, before turning to arts administration.
“I started in choir at 5 and was in the Atlanta Boy Choir. Other kids were doing sports, I did music,” says the executive director of the Great Lakes Center for the Arts at Bay Harbor south of Petoskey. “I was a professional actor full time for 10 years before turning to arts administration.”
Matthew Kacergis (Courtesy Photo/Great Lakes CFA)
In the latter role, he worked for an arts consulting firm in Washington, D.C., crafting strategic plans and event production. “I have a well-rounded view of the industry,” Kacergis says. That helps in running and booking acts for the 525-seat theater at the tony lakeside community.
This year, the acts range from the Kings Singers to Jo Dee Messina, Grand Rapids Ballet to “Mama Mia.” View the full roster of shows at Local Spins here.
He splits his time between Petoskey and Seattle, where he met his wife, dancer and choreographer Katy Tabb. “She still does a lot there,” he says.
1. Various Artists, “The Complete Symphonic Recording of Les Misérables” (1989) – It’s pretty amazing and entertaining. It’s incredibly well done, incredibly well produced. It’s iconic. I got to do it twice as a student and once as a professional. It’s the first show I saw on Broadway and it takes me back. The music, you hear the power of the voices.
Listen: “I Dreamed a Dream”
2. Alison Krauss & Union Station, “Live” (2002) – Alison Krauss is the best at what she does on the planet. That style of bluegrass is what got us interested in bluegrass. The tight harmonies – it’s fun, the folk history of bluegrass storytelling. “I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow,” “Down The River To Pray” was in (the film) “O Brother Where Art Thou.” It’s classic and historic, but very approachable and I (still) find it relevant. It’s thrilling to listen to.
Listen: “Choctaw Hayride”
3. Yo Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, “The Goat Rodeo Sessions” (2011) – My second and third choices share some characteristics. Both feature some of the world’s greatest living musicians. They have accomplished solo careers. What’s better than Yo Yo Ma playing bluegrass? Chris Thile is bluegrass and Bach- and Mozart-inspired. It’s really great music. They all have incredibly busy careers and (yet) come together on a project to make something new and interesting. Like Renée Fleming doing Björk.
Listen: “Attaboy”
Currently Loving: Jessica Willis Fisher, “Brand New Day” (2022) – I was in Nashville a few weeks ago and in a small listening room and was totally blown away. She is an amazing fiddle player with an incredible voice. Her songwriting is lovely. She released a cover of Jason Isbell’s “If We Were Vampires.” It feels like she’s inventing her own genre (with) elements of folk, bluegrass, country.
Listen: “Brand New Day”
ALBUMS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD: Matthew Kacergis’ Playlist on Spotify
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