b'New Kidon theClassical Music BlockThe SOMA Salon isbringing it all homeBY DONNY LEVITO nalateafternooninPizzi.Thecompositioncappedoffacompelling,again,driving February,asnowsquallquirky, warm, and at times rather funny set. And Jilllongdistances materializedintheair,Sokol, who founded the SOMA Salon music series,tohercon-brieflycreatingahy- wouldnt have it any other way. tractjobs.I perlocalsnowglobeinI dont remember the last time I played cham- missmykids Maplewood.Buttheber music and had such a good time, says Sokol, athisweek,you strangeweatherclearedprofessional flutist whos been a Maplewood residentknow?Im out quickly, just as four classically trained musiciansfor more than 13 years: I feel so lucky to be able tomissingtheir tuned their instruments and readied themselves forcreate something right here. In addition to beingbedtime,she their intimate performance. Set in the living room ofthe second flutist at the Hudson Valley Philharmon- says,while Matters Magazine publisher and editor in chief Ellenic and Garden State Philharmonic, she is a seasoneddrivingtoone Donker and her husband Robert Depue, the chairsteacher,servingasanadjunctprofessoratKeanof her jobs dur-filled with friends, neighbors, classical music new- University in Union, New Jersey. ingthisvery bies, life-long aficionados, and everyone in between.And now, shes hoping to establish the SOMAinterview.I Oh, and pasta was on the menu. No, not the typeSalon concert series as the newest artistic fixture ofdecidedthatIThe musicians took turns introducing served on a dish. The diverse set performed by thethe community. wanted to cre- each piece with a brief explanation quartet included a piece titled Linguine, a jazz- When live performances finally resumed in 2021,atesomethingabout the composer and context for the composition. Photo by Julia inflected composition for bassoon written by RaySokol found herself behind the steering wheel oncecloser to homeMaloof Verderosa.40/ matters magazine / spring 2022'