One of the highlights of my summer was attending an inspiring baroque concert, a featured event of the Festival Mozaic, in San Luis Obispo, CA. For two weeks every July, an array of concerts, classes, workshops and open rehearsals grace this central coast town, but none as stunning as the performance at Chapel Serra, the famous chapel on the hill in nearby Shandon. You drive out of town into the dust, into the dryness of the parched but beautiful California landscape, until somehow you manage to locate the chapel sandlot parking area, vaguely marked on the side of the road. The destination, however, is unmistakable. There, up a long and steep incline with grapevines growing on either side, reigns the chapel. So you want to experience the art of music? You climb the hill with your chairs, blanket, and picnic paraphernalia if you dare; or, you could wait in a line and take the tram up, but that would be cheating.

 

Festival director, Scott Yoo, has provided a pilgrimage for those who understand that these same musicians, these same works by Bach, Handel, and Torelli, would not be as compelling in any other venue. This concert on July 16, 2016, was a one-of-a-kind experience. You, as listener, were part of a self-selected group of people who managed to snag a ticket, seated there among the vines in your beach chair, or on the tile steps as the sun set, blue sky turned to lace, and the soft central coast breeze picked up fragrant hints of sage with the first notes of Handel’s Overture from Alessandro, certainly an early music example of multi-cultural art on this magical summer night.

 

As I listened, basking in gratefulness, I began to think about how far we humans will go, literally or figuratively, to experience meaningful art. For some of us, it is built into the equation of our lives. For others it is stumbled upon, or, delightfully discovered when least expected. Still, for many individuals it remains a mystery, or a longing, and in a world where so much competes for our attention, there are many factors to dissuade us from embracing art as part of our daily lives.

 

As we begin this academic year launching new Theater and Dance conservatory programs, progressive music opportunities, and we look forward to a brilliantly updated Visual Arts facility, I am here to tell you it is easier than ever to live a life of art. Check out our website and arts calendar for performance/gallery information; take a look at our new Arts brochure; gaze at the student work gracing our walls and dream a little. Or, beyond the pathways of CA, listen to a piece of music you have never heard before, treat yourself to a Saturday morning at a museum you have not had a chance to frequent, pick an edgy sounding dance company and watch a You Tube video, enjoy one of Denver’s many small theater company productions,

or, best of all, talk to our students about what moves them in art, what makes them seek this dubious distinction of wanting to participate in a life of art which is, by design, their own.

 

There are three “must do’s” for this assignment. First, dare to get out of your comfort zone. It’s okay to try something new even if you decide you don’t like it, and, for crying out loud, give up worrying about not knowing enough when you view a work of art or a performance. It all begins with what you enjoy, what you think about a piece and not about what it is intended to be. Secondly, take a class or attend a gallery and/or performance with people who have greater experience, or who have achieved a more advanced level than you in any given area. Employ their example to launch forward in your quest. Finally, figure out, beyond the realm of duty, what it is that you would like to do that is fresh and different, something that will stimulate your senses and touch your heart. After all, you owe yourself an aesthetic destination. It is the right thing to do, and please, don’t take the tram. Be bold. Climb the hill.