From Classroom to Concert Hall: Harrisburg Academy's Michael Gamon Performs with Josh Groban

For most musicians, opportunities to perform alongside internationally acclaimed artists are rare. For Harrisburg Academy MYP/DP Music Teacher and Director of the Center for the Creative Arts, Michael Gamon, that opportunity recently became a reality when he joined American singer-songwriter Josh Groban for two arena performances in Philadelphia and Hershey.

 

The invitation arrived unexpectedly.

 

"In the middle of the year-end saga," Gamon said, "I received an email from a musician contractor in North Carolina offering me a contract to play two Josh Groban shows."

 

Like many major touring artists, Groban travels with his core band but augments performances with local professional musicians at select tour stops. In the Mid-Atlantic region, Gamon is among a small group of highly specialized violists with extensive professional experience, having performed on national television, in recording sessions, on national Broadway tours, in regional theatre productions, and for large audiences throughout his career.

 

Still, this opportunity presented an entirely new challenge.

 

"I have never performed an arena show," he said. "Those opportunities typically go to musicians based in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., or New York."

 

With only one week to prepare—and a demanding end-of-year schedule at Harrisburg Academy—Gamon found himself with just two two-hour practice sessions before stepping onto the stage.

 

He was given a book containing 34 potential songs and a tentative list of 20 pieces that might appear in the performance. Even then, the final set list would remain unknown until arriving at the venue.

 

Complicating matters further, many songs are performed in different keys live than on their original recordings, requiring him to effectively learn each piece twice.

 

"When preparing for a performance like this," Gamon explained, "three things are non-negotiable: every pitch must be perfectly in tune, every rhythm must be precise to the recording, and I have to know the form of every chart."

 

As performance day approached, he learned two additional details that significantly raised the stakes.

 

He would be seated as principal violist, meaning every note he played would be individually miked and serve as the primary voice of the section. He also discovered there would only be two violists performing, leaving virtually no room for error.

 

"If we disagreed on pitch or rhythm, it would be instantly apparent," he said.

 

He admits there was a moment of frustration and self-doubt, but he credits Harrisburg Academy colleague Ms. Moran with helping him refocus.

 

"I appreciated Ms. Moran, who helped me accept that I could only prepare what I could prepare and only do what I could do."

 

Upon arriving at Philadelphia's Xfinity Mobile Arena eight hours before showtime, the pace intensified.

 

The musicians received their cue lists and stage rehearsal schedules, but there was no opportunity to practice independently. Instead, they were given a one-hour informational run-through before Groban's sound check.

 

Even that was unlike a traditional rehearsal.

 

"The stage was literally being built around us as we played," Gamon recalled. "Lights were being rigged, smoke machines tested, projectors and drapes installed, and equipment was being assembled during our run-through."

 

Every musician wore an in-ear monitor connected to the music director, receiving a click track, orchestra feed, and Groban's vocals. However, musicians could only control the volume—not the audio mix itself.

 

At several points, the violas were not even included in the monitor mix, forcing Gamon and his stand partner to rely solely on the internal resonance of their instruments.

 

"The sound in an arena is so loud and slightly delayed that you cannot listen to it," he explained. "You have to focus entirely on the sound vibrating through your own body in order to play accurately."

 

Following sound check, the musicians waited another five hours before showtime.

 

Then came another unusual challenge: performing cold.

 

Unlike many traditional orchestral settings, there was no opportunity to warm up before returning to the stage.

 

"It is just as difficult for musicians as it is for athletes," Gamon said. "Our instruments, bodies, and minds need to be brought into sync in order to perform at our best."

 

As musicians walked onto the stage in Philadelphia, house lights remained fully illuminated, allowing them to warm up in front of nearly 10,000 audience members.

 

Fortunately, Gamon was met with an unexpected source of encouragement.

 

"I had several friends in the audience and was seated at the front of the stage," he said. "I received a warm reception I wasn't expecting, and that helped a great deal."

 

The Philadelphia performance went so well that by the time the group arrived in Hershey, the music director had written additional orchestral parts for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," giving the viola and cello sections a featured moment.

 

The Hershey audience also left a lasting impression.

 

"Josh Groban loved Hershey," Gamon said. "He was energetic, warm, and the audience was unbelievably enthusiastic, with people dancing in the aisles."

 

During sound check, Groban himself took notice.

 

"He walked over, patted me on the back, smiled, and said, 'Really good job,' before exiting the stage."

 

For Gamon, however, some of the most meaningful moments came from unexpected places.

 

Hearing special guest Jennifer Hudson perform live was one.

 

"There is no question she has earned her EGOT. She is clearly one of the great talents of our generation."

 

Another came while performing "To Where You Are," one of the songs that helped launch Groban's career over two decades ago.

 

"As a teenager, I used to sing along to that song in my car all the time," he said. "If someone had told that younger version of me that one day I would perform that piece with Josh Groban onstage in an arena, I would have driven off the road in shock."

 

Perhaps the most profound moment came during the performance of "You Raise Me Up."

 

Thousands of audience members illuminated the arena with their phones, creating a sea of lights that Gamon says can only truly be understood from the stage itself.

 

"I was not prepared for how magical it is to be one of the people creating the music that so many respond to so profoundly," he reflected. "Those tiny lights are individual people creating a moment together with the only instruments they have—their voices and a light—and somehow creating something so much greater than the sum of its parts."

 

The experience served as a powerful reminder of why music matters.

 

"It reminded me to never take opportunities for granted," Gamon said. "But mostly, it reminded me that when people come together, we have the capacity to create incredible beauty and meaning. The destruction that people are capable of often receives the most attention, but it is only part of the story. Our ability to create extraordinary moments together is a critical part of who we are—even if we are nothing more than a voice in the crowd or a pinprick of light."

 

For Harrisburg Academy students, that message may be the greatest lesson of all: that artistry, preparation, and community can create something extraordinary—and that remarkable opportunities often begin with simply saying yes.