Jefferson Starship Performs with Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra

Jefferson Starship now has nearly a dozen of its songs (including a few Jefferson Airplane classics, and one new Jefferson Starship song, called "What Are We Waiting For") arranged for full orchestra by composer/arranger Tim Berens, and engraved by Louise Berens. The first performance of these arrangements featured Jefferson Starship on stage at the Schuster Center in Dayton, Ohio, on November 2, 2018, with the excellent Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, led by conductor Neal Gittleman.

"If you're a dedicated musician who mostly does rock/pop gigs and you've never played with an orchestra, you're in for a treat," says Jefferson Starship guitarist Jude Gold. "There is no more incredible and stereophonic way to hear music than to be on stage amongst 80 or more professional orchestral musicians. Talk about 'surround sound!'

"Tim and Louise did a flawless job with the arrangements," continues Jude. "The charts flowed perfectly, and there were zero train wrecks! No brass players got hernias trying to hit impossible notes, and band an orchestra never got out of sync. And Neal pulled off the challenging task of uniting orchestra and rock band brilliantly, making it look easy.

"The most thrilling part of playing with an orchestra is to hear themes you've written coming through the hands of these great players. There's this little ending theme I made up for the ride-out section of 'Find Your Way Back,' as well as an intro melody I wrote for our new song, 'What Are We Waiting For,' and seeing the strings play those melodies and other tidbits of mine — with the decades of dedication each of these players has put into their instruments — was truly moving.

"I was honored to experience something similar one other time, when I got to perform Devolution, by composer Anthony P. DeRitis, with the Oakland Symphony. That piece is over 20 minutes long, and also featured a couple of my themes here and there. It's a powerful and unforgettable experience — and and incredible honor — to hear your licks played by a professional orchestra. It's an experience that I wish upon every dedicated musician everywhere."