This interview was conducted at Mrs. Koltun's home in Virginia Beach on March 8, 2006 with Dr. Jean Major, University Librarian Emeritus and Virginia Symphony League Archivist. |
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Interview with Helen KoltunMarch 8, 2006 Interviewer: Dr. Jean Major |
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Major: I am Jean Major, and this is Helen Koltun. We are talking about the symphony and the symphony league, and this is March 8, 2006. To begin, tell me how your involvement with the symphony and the symphony league began.
Major: Mmm, This is the boutique that now Clara, or Cora and Leroy Collins--. Koltun: It doesn’t look like when I did it. Major: Really? [laughter]. So, you did that for 20 years? Koltun: I never could go away for dinner before the symphony. I always walked in loaded, and I always was the last one out of the Chrysler Hall cause we had pack up. Major: Mhm. Koltun: And I ran all over the city carrying things. Major: Mmm. And so after, after you started working with the boutique, running the boutique, what other kinds of things did you do with the symphony and the symphony league? Koltun: That, that was a full time job. Major: It was literally a full time job? Koltun: It was a full time job. And I didn’t mind it. [2] Major: Umhum. Koltun: I mean, I’d come home at eleven thirty, twelve o’clock. Then I’d start running the charge; I had a charge machine in my house. Major: Mhm. Koltun: And I’d run the charges through; then I had to make the deposit. I had to do all the ordering, and there was no place to store it. So fortunately I had an empty bedroom. All the merchandise was stored in the bedroom, and... all in the trunk of my car. I had to go to different vendors to get it, some here in Norfolk, some in Washington, some in California. It was a full time job. Major: Mhm. There was--. Koltun: Plus, plus I had to make sure that there was somebody there… to work it. Major: Mhm. Koltun: Be there, and if there was a…like the play-along…there was held. Now it’s held at McArthur Center. If it was held somewhere else, I had to go out there and staff it and service it. It was a full time job. Major: Mhm. You, you just mentioned that now you are on the symphony league board. Koltun: I was on the board there; that was my job on the board. Major: Mmm. Koltun: So now I am giving luncheons. Major: And that’s your job now? Koltun: Right. Major: To do all of the luncheons? Koltun: No, no, I just did the spring. Major: Just the spring? Koltun: Just the spring luncheons. Major: I see. [3] Koltun: Why don’t you ask me why I quit? Major: Why did you quit? Koltun: Because I did not get any cooperation or recognition from the office. And all of a sudden, the symphony office--You don’t have to records this--but all of a sudden I got tired--. [Recorder turned off, then on] Major: ____ boutique? Koltun: Well, count back 23 years. Major: 23 years from--. Koltun: 82, no 83, 84. Major: OK. And, is that when you became active in the symphony league, or you were active in the symphony league before? Koltun: No, well, I would do little things, mailings and whatever. Major: Mhm, OK. Koltun: And that’s when I did that, and then I just got tired. Major: Mhm. And you sa- you mentioned that, that you had been a long time symphony goer. Koltun: Oh, yes. Major: Did you ever have any, any contact with the youth orchestra? Koltun:No. Major: Nuh-uh. Koltun: I still don’t. [4] Major: Or with the community music school when the symphony sponsored that? Koltun: No. Major: Nuh-uh. Koltun: I didn’t. Major: Or with the chorus? Koltun: No, I didn’t. Major: No, none of those? Koltun: I just went, always bought two tickets. Major: Mhm. Koltun: Ever since-- it’s so long ago, I can’t remember when I didn’t go. Major: Mhm. Koltun: Can you imagine that; I can’t remember when I didn’t go. Major: Well, that’s enviable. Koltun: It mea- classical music has always been a big part of my life. You don’t hear anything on here, cause I don’t like noise. I mean it’s always quiet in the house. Major: Mhm. Koltun: But I s- supported it, and I worked for it, cause I wanted it to always be here. Major: Mhm, mhm. Koltun: That’s my feeling. Major: It’s sounds as though you grew up in Norfolk? Koltun: No, I moved to Norfolk when I was 16. My mother was from Norfolk. Major: Mmm. Koltun: My mother was from a very old, prominent family. If I mention the name, it won’t mean anything, because people, you’re too young, all of you to remember it. But, she married my father and…who of course, they wouldn’t listen to anything but classical music and moved to Suffolk and then moved back when I was 16. Major: Mhm. Koltun: World War II kind of interfered with things. [5] Major: Right, right. Koltun: You couldn’t buy a car; you couldn’t build a house. Major: Mhm. Koltun: So they moved when I was 16. Major: And it sounds as though, for a long time, the symphony was your career. Koltun: Mhm. It was, it was my career. Major: I wonder if you can tell me some things about the whole pattern over time of___ the symphony recruiting musicians. The records that I’ve seen show that the musicians were put on salary for the first time in 1985. Koltun: I think that’s a bit late. Major: I know that they were paid before that, but they were not on a______. Koltun: Contract basis? Major: Yeah. Koltun: I, I thought that that was earlier than that. I can remember… I can remember them having, like a fundraiser down at the Pavilion which I went to--. Major: Mhm. Koltun: with my boutique because they didn’t have health insurance. And we all paid to go to this so they could—someone in the symphony orchestra had problems, and there was no health insurance. And so the symphony had this, a concert, to raise funds for that. I did not know that they did not, would not contract players up until 85, I thought it was before. The orchestra has grown in the number of people. Major: Really? Koltun: I think so. The number of musicians, they had a lot of musicians who were not professional musicians. Major: Mhm. Koltun: They were, had other jobs--. [6] Major: Mhm. Koltun: who played in there. I know Mark_____ is a doctor. I’ll tell you his name in a minute, who is in there right now, he is a violinist. Major: Mmm. Koltun: And I see him running in sometimes late. Major: [laughter]. All the commentaries that I read talk about the fact that it was very hard to recruit musicians in earlier days because the symphony didn’t have a salary established and didn’t pay as well. Koltun: They still don’t pay as well. Major: They don’t; you are absolutely right. Koltun: And it’s sad because as John Lindberg said to me one time, “They all have their terminal degrees.” They are, they are not just… talented jack-leg people. They all have come out of very fine musical schools like Indiana University or--. Major: That’s right. Koltun: Yeah, they are, and it’s sad that they get such a little bit of money, and they have to have all these other jobs--. Major: That’s right Koltun: To sustain themselves. Major: Have you seen an improvement in that aspect over the time that you’ve been involved with the symphony? Koltun: Improvement in what aspect? Major: In… They, they have been paid better? Koltun: Not much. Major: Not much. Koltun: Mm-mm. [7] Major: And yet… other people have told me that competition is strong for these symphony positions. Are you, do you have much awareness of, of the recruiting process? Koltun: No, I don’t. I know they all try out behind a screen. Major: Mhm. Koltun: And I think there is two or three people who listen to the try-outs. And I know that symphonies have a hard time existing; a lot of them go out of business. Major: Mhm. Koltun: Because they cannot afford it. So I don’t know if the competition for getting fine musicians, there are more--. To my knowledge, there are more fine musicians than there are spaces for them. Major: That’s right. That’s my sense too… I am in, we’ve talked a bit ago about Stephen and Patti Carlson, and I know that Steve Carlson came here with a joint employment opportunity. He was recruited on the faculty at Norfolk State and also recruited for the symphony. Do you know anything about how that arrangement with Norfolk State got started?
Major: Oh, yes. Koltun: Yeah, I’ve said to him one time, “Where do you live?” thinking about practicing with the drums. Major: Mhm. Koltun: And how that must be for the neighbors to listen to him. Major: [laughter]. Koltun: And, no, I do not know, but probably somebody in the symphony office. I don’t know who, but somebody on the board has that kind of arrangements where they look to see what other employment opportunities because the symphony cannot give them a living wage. Major: No. And I have read things from the historical files about where Russell Stanger was constantly thinking up ideas to put together several things that would make a full time income. [8] Koltun: Well, they all have outside jobs, they have to. Either it’s on the faculty; I think Zee “(ph)” teaches in William and Mary and in Washington. Major: Mhm. Koltun: They all have to have outside, and of course they, most of them play for the opera. Major: Mhm. Koltun: But that’s a contract thing. Major: Mhm. That’s right. Koltun: And then, they are fortunate that there is a lot of educational opportunities. Carroll, he was a bass player. He was a school teacher, teaching in public schools. Major: I don’t know the name. Koltun: I’ll think about it. I’ll go get a program and look it up. But he--. Dora Marshall, now she is long gone and her brother Ronald Marshall, they were violinist and violist. And in fact, they’ve endowed a chair for the symphony. They were also teachers. Major: Are they, were they related to Eleanor Marshall? Koltun: Maybe. But there was Dora and her brother Ronald, and they both played in the symphony, and they were both teachers. They just have to do that, which is unfortunate. Major: Yeah, that’s right. Who is the first conductor that you were aware of? Koltun: Schenkman. Major: How can you, can you characterize the Edgar Schenkman period? What can you tell me about it? Koltun: No. Major:_______ Koltun: I was too young. I was too-- It was much smaller, and I often think today, when they are always having trouble meeting the budget. [9] Major: Mhm. Koltun:It’s always… the story. A) Of course, I am delighted to see them. I am so looking forward to this Sonnenberg… coming… the violinist. She is the first one in September. I often think, if they cut out bringing in these name brand musicians, would they have more money? But they didn’t have those. Major: Really? They had, they didn’t have outside soloists. Koltun: Mm-mm. Not that I can remember. Now how long, when was Schenkman here? Major: I think he left in 58 or 59. No, no, he left in 66 because Russell Stanger began in 66. Koltun: Well, I remember him. I remember when, big thing, he got married. Maybe I was going before Schenkman, when I was, you know, a young girl. Major: Yeah. Tell me about the Russell Stanger period. Koltun: I think the orchestra grew during his period. He--because Schenkman was betw… in Richmond also, I believe. Major: Mhm, he was. Koltun: So, this wasn’t his complete focus of his interest was, but I think when Russell Stanger came, it was the complete, his complete focus. He had any other outside podiums. Major: Mhm. Koltun: And I think the orchestra grew then. He gave it his heart and soul. Major: Mhm. Koltun: I remember that. He must have been very young when he came here, cause he married Mildred Sheffield. Major: Mhm. Koltun: And… he, we didn’t have that many soloists either… when he was here. Major: Really? Koltun: Cause I don’t remember them. [10] Major: Mhm. Koltun: And so far my memory is holding up. Major: [laughter].
Major: Both Richard Williams and Winston Dan Vogel didn’t stay very long, but I haven’t discovered anything about why that is. Koltun: Mh. That I can tell you. They were both too arrogant. Major: I see. Koltun: Richard Williams was extremely arrogant. And Winston came in, and I am very dear friends with his sister. He--his sister followed him here. I don’t, this you don’t. His sister is a pediatrician here. Quite… great _____ Major:And exercised his contacts? Koltun: Oh, yeah. Major: Mhm. Koltun: He is now … running an opera company out of New Jersey. Major: Mmm. Koltun: But, he is still single, and all the girls I introduced him to are all married. Major: [laughter]. And what about Richard Williams?
[11]
Major: Mhm, yes she does. Koltun: And she knows me. Major: She knows me. Koltun: Yeah, she’s smart. Major: That’s right. Koltun: And you just can’t be so focused on one thing that you ignore everything else. Major: That’s true. Did Russell Stanger do all of those, all the schmoozing and the fundraising and all of that? Koltun: I don’t think he did that much. Major: Did he? Koltun: I think that orchestra has grown tremendously, in depth, in size, in everything else since JoAnn came or since Winston came. Winston brought in all the-- in the beginning he brought in-- to my knowledge, to my recollection, somebody else might tell you something different. Major: Mmm. Koltun: But I just remember him bringing in more guest artists than anybody else. Major: Mhm. Koltun: I can’t remember… Stanger or… what was his name? Major: Schenkman? Koltun: Schenkman. Never. Major: Right. Koltun: It was a small orchestra then, a small community orchestra. Now we are big time, I think. [12] Major: Right. For a long time expectations were that, that whoever came to be the conductor of this orchestra would settle here, and this would be their primary residence, their primary or maybe only position. And now that clearly isn’t true now. Koltun: No, she, when they hired JoAnn, she had to move here. So she has an apartment downtown at College Cross or--. Major: You mean that was one of the conditions for her coming, that she has to establish a residence here? Koltun: Mhm. But of course, she is rarely here; she is rarely here. Major: She gets around. Koltun: Well, she has one in Buffalo. Major: That’s right. Koltun: And she has Dan Hart with her. Major: That’s right. Koltun: And only thing bad about that is living in Buffalo. Major: [laughter]. Koltun: I can’t imagine living in all that snow. But she had to do that. And I think, does she have the Long Beach women? Major: Not any more. Koltun: Not any more? She had another one, too. The Denver one, she--. Major: And that’s long gone. Koltun: But she had Long Beach, she had another one too, but she is only here like a very short time of the year. Major: Mmm. But then that is a long-standing expectation that the conductor would only have one orchestra, and it would be the Norfolk orchestra. Do you know anything about the expectations that foster that?
[13]
Major: Mhm. But the perspective obviously changed enough so that the board at that time was comfortable with her having more than one orchestra. Koltun: Evidently, I mean she’s done a great thing. Major: Mhm. Koltun: And she’s built up the orchestra. Major: Yeah. Koltun: And… it’s a wonderful symphony. Major: It is. Koltun: It is wonderful. I just wish somebody’d come around and give them like a hundred million dollars, so they wouldn’t have to struggle. Major: I do, too. Koltun: Yeah, I mean it’s wonderful, it kills me. It used to be that I planned everything I did around the symphony, because I had to service the--. Major: Mhm. Koltun: boutique. Now I am missing three in a row, and it’s killing me, absolutely killing me. Major: Mmm. Koltun: From circumstances that we were out of town-- Major: Mhm. [14] Koltun: --for one thing or another, and it’s three symphonies. And that’s, I’ve never done that before… this year. Major: I am interested in knowing something more about how the women’s committee or the symphony league--. Koltun: The league? Major: Has contributed throughout the symphony’s history. Can you give me a sense of the contribution that the symphony league and its predecessors made to the symphony’s viability? Koltun: Well… it’s the fundraising arm of the symphony. And every year we have been told to give them something like 77 thousand dollars, and we have to work to earn that 77. And the biggest money maker that we have now is the car raffle. Major: Mhm. Koltun: I do not know how that is going. The tickets are a hundred dollars, they sell 1200 tickets. I have already bought mine. Major:So have I. Koltun: Good. Major: [laughter]. Koltun: That, we maintain feeding the musicians at the concerts. We do that. Major: Tell me something about that. I’ve never known anything about that. Koltun: Well, the league provides refreshments for them… between concerts. Between, not concerts, between--. Major: During intermission? Koltun: During intermission, yeah, thank you for that word. They serve them cookies, and coffee and tea and whatever. They’ve always done that. They all also have a party once a year, an appreciation for the musicians. It’s, the last couple years it’s been at Huette Center; before that it was held in various members’ homes. They, well, they are helpful like, Gil Shahan’s wife came here. Now, she, I can’t remember her name either. She is from New Zealand. Major: Mhm. [15] Koltun: She came here with a baby, and somebody had to baby-sit the baby during the concert. The league took care of that. Major: Mhm. Koltun: They will take care of helping the musicians out when they come, whatever they need the league to do. Major: To settle in. Koltun: And, yeah, what, if they need to find something, there is a program called “Adopt a musician.” I don’t know how successful it is, but they will do something to help them. Major: Mhm. Koltun: If they, whatever they need with. And I said the big- biggest thing is the fundraising that they do. Major: Besides, is the car raffle the main thing now, I am aware that that is a huge project. But I wondered if they, if they do other fundraising now? Koltun: Well, they, we used to have a fashion show… that was attended by everybody in the city practically. It was a big, big thing. And it was held at the Marriott. Major: Mhm. Koltun: It was, the time before it was at the Omni. They change names on me all the time. Major: Mhm. Koltun: I don’t know what it’s called now. Major: It’s the Sheraton now. Koltun: It’s the Sheraton? Major: Mhm Koltun: All right. But they had big names… Fashion people. Major: Mmm. Koltun: Come down… bringing their lines and--. [16] Major: Mhm. Koltun: Then that went by the board, and then it was the different stores would model. And that was a big fundraiser. But nobody goes to the fashion shows any more. And the stores didn’t want to do it. It costs the stores money, and they don’t earn anything from it. Major: Mhm. Koltun: They have to pay the models. The merchandise gets shabby. Major: Mhm. Koltun: I can remember, my girlfriend who had a very, very fancy store in Virginia Beach, and JoAnn Falletta modeled the dress and took it off and left it on the floor. Major: Ooh. Koltun: And that was the end of her participating in these fashion shows. I mean, and once you have worn clothes, they get shopworn. Even for a fashion show. Major: Sure. Koltun: And the people did not buy the clothes, so these stores pulled out. They had to pay the models. Major: Mhm. Koltun: It was the expensive ordeal, and it was an ordeal. God, it was awful! Major: [laughter]. Koltun: But anyhow, so as far as I know now the only fundraiser is the car raffle and the boutique, and I don’t know how the boutique is doing. Major: Mmm. Koltun: I mean, once you are out, you are out. Major: That’s right. There was a time, quite a long time, I think, when the symphony league had a big role in subscriptions campaigns. Do you remember that time period? Koltun: No, I don’t, I mean--. [17] Major: It doesn’t have anything to do with selling the subscriptions now, does it? Koltun: Mh-mm, nothing. I think we stuffed envelopes. I can remember doing that that was my first thing is going down and stuffing envelopes to send out information. Major: Mhm. Koltun: Now they have telemarketers that do everything. Now they don’t stuff envelopes. Occasionally, the symphony office will call and ask us to come there and do something like that. Major: Mhm. Koltun: Or provide the food for something, I just did it. I don’t remember what it was for. But they had a party at Glenmark office, where it is now. Major: Mhm. Koltun: And the league had to... I don’t know what that thing was for. But I mean, I know I contribute to whatever they ask me to do. Major: Sure. Koltun: The league also helps; Connie Ferebee just called me and asked me to be there at nine o’clock in the morning for the student concerts to help usher them in. And I said, “I don’t go anywhere at nine o’clock in the morning.” I don’t;… I mean, everything I need to do now is after 11 o’clock. Major: But, but there must be league members who serve as ushers for the young people’s concerts? Koltun: But I am not one of them. Major: Mhm. Koltun: I’ve done that. I can remember going down. Did you know Grace Dean? She was a librarian. Major: No, I know the name though. Koltun: She was my dear friend, and I miss her terribly. I used to end every sentence with, “I love Grace.” But, I can remember going down to Eastern Shore Chapel--. Major: Mhm. [18] Koltun: For her. To help usher for the Young People’s Concerts. Major: Mmm. Well, all in all, what’s your assessment of the contribution that women have made to the continued viability of the symphony? Koltun: Tremendous, tremendous. Women, I’m all in favor of women. I am on Hillary to be President. Major: [laughter]. Koltun: I am very much impressed with women and what they do. In fact, our director right now is a woman, Carla Johnson. Major: Mhm. Koltun: I think they had done a tremendous… help for the symphony… backbone. Really. Major: Mhm. Koltun: I wonder what they’d do without the league. Especially with the amount of money we give them. Major: Mhm. Koltun: How would they make that up? We have had fundraisers, all kinds of--. Some public relation firm in Denver comes up with these ideas. We have these, I am hoping that I am not getting early Alzheimer’s or dementia. But, we’ve had these, that’s what you have when you have a knee implant, you can’t pick up, you’re like. We’ve had these fundraisers where we had to raise tremendous amounts of funds. Major: Mhm. Koltun: And I, I contributed to those, and I used to think I’d never finish paying. I mean, they, they… We have to, fifteen hundred, five thousand dollars. We all have to cough up that kind of money. Major: Really? Koltun: So, I wonder what they would do without us. Major: Mhm. What do you know about the VSO Foundation and--. Koltun: Nothing. [19] Major: Nothing. Koltun: I know my name is in the program. I contributed to it, but I don’t know anything about it. Major: Mmm. OK. Do you remember when the various ensembles merged to become the Virginia Orchestra Group in 1979?
Major: No, there was a group in Virginia Beach--.
Major: Now, there is, there is the community orchestra down in Virginia Beach.
Major: Mhm.
Major: Mhm.
Major: That’s right. Were you aware that in the late 80s, in 1989, there was an investigation of a possible merger with the Richmond Symphony? Koltun: No, never heard a thing about it. Major: Well, I discovered that one day in the materials that they’ve already given--. Koltun: Right. Major: to the library. Koltun: Uh-huh. Major: And I am eager to know more. [20] Koltun: I know, I don’t know anything about it. Major: OK. Koltun: It was, the league was not privy to that. Major: Mhm. Koltun: It was never discussed. Major: Right. How strong do you think the symphony has been in the last 10 years? Koltun: Very. I mean, look what we’ve done. Major: Yeah. Koltun: And look how we’ve grown. Major: And the main factors? Koltun: Well, I think JoAnn Falletta has contributed. She is very personable, and… not only personable, she knows how to work a room. Major: Yes, she does. Koltun: And I think she’s contributed to making people feel comfortable there. We have the notoriety, for lack of other words, of having played in the Carnegie Hall, gone to Kennedy Center. Of course I know anybody can rent Carnegie Hall. Major: [laughter]. As we are discovering because of the ads on the WHRO TV for the Grand Ole Opry at Carnegie Hall. Koltun: Uh-huh, anybody can rent it. Major: Apparently, anybody can. I guess our lady friends are going to edit out comments like that. Koltun: But anybody can do that. I remember when Dora, Dora Marshall Short, the ones I talked about, the brother and sister. Major: Mhm. Koltun: They went and played at Carnegie Hall. They did that. Major: Wow! [21] Koltun: They had--. She was quite a violinist. Major: What about--. Koltun: But, it’s nice to have on your resume that you played at Carnegie Hall. Major: Sure. What additional things do you think need to be, to happen to increase the symphony’s viability? Koltun: I don’t know. I have… You don’t put this in either. [pause]. There is a man--. Major: Would ensure greater viability____if more people in this community went to concerts? Koltun: Would supported it. Major: Yeah, right. Koltun: Mhm. Major: It has to include people who were not taken to the symphony when they were children. Koltun: Right. Well, I find you like what you know, and if you don’t know it, you don’t like it. Major: Mhm. Koltun: And that’s kinda sad, really. And I looked at the Academy Awards and the songs that were on the Best Song. God, that’s awful. That is just absolutely awful. Major: I can’t imagine having to listen to the whole thing. Koltun: I wouldn’t listen to the whole thing. Major: [laughter]. Koltun: And Neil Sedaka was here, and he said something was very true. And have you seen Neil Sedaka? He said, “When we wrote music, you could understand the words.” [pause]. I mean that’s popular music. [22] Major: Mhm. Are there other things about the symphony or symphony league and your work with them or your support that you would like to talk about? Things that I didn’t ask about? Koltun: Well, I will tell you Winston Dan Vogel started the Peanut Butter and Jam series. Major: Is that right? Koltun: Mhm. And that’s a great thing. Major: Mhm. Koltun: And my daughter takes my grandchildren--. Major: Mhm. Koltun: to that. She goes with another couple and their children. And I think--people like my daughter are bringing up their children to listen to classical music. That’s what they go to sleep to every night. They have a little seat. And I think that’s important that they do that. I want the symphony always be here. I want it here for my grandchildren. Major: Mhm. Koltun: That’s why I have always put an effort into doing whatever I could for it. Major: Mhm. Koltun: And I don’t know how, I mean they had these youth concerts, that Connie called me and asked me to usher for. I don’t know what else they can do, cause they really try hard. Major: Mhm. Koltun: They really do. I don’t know what they can do. I think it’s just the caliber of the people who live here…And I don’t know what you do about that either. Major: Mmm. Koltun: I really don’t. They, they’re just not into it. An I guess this is not just Norfolk, it’s--. Major: Not at all. Koltun: Not at all. Mhm. Virginia Beach people don’t come to the symphony. [23] Major: Mm-mm. Koltun: And there is tremendous money at Virginia Beach. Major: That’s right. Koltun: And they don’t support the symphony. Major: Mhm. Koltun: There is one or two people in the league from Virginia Beach. I’m talking about the beach beach, I am talking about Atlantic Avenue, Pacific Avenue, and Crystal Lake and--. Major: Mhm. Koltun: The North End and--. I mean that’s major money down there. And they don’t support the symphony… at all. And it’s sad. They don’t support it by either going or contributing. Major: Mhm. Koltun: It’s really the Norfolk Symphony, really. Major: Mmm. Koltun: And I don’t know what you can do to make it more viable, I just don’t know. Major: Thank you very much. Koltun: You are welcome. I hope I could help you. END OF INTERVIEW |
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