NickydocDocs

So yeah.  I went to the LexArts reception this evening for local members of the Kentucky Arts Council.  I was one of two two appointments for the four year terms.  Having been the president of the Lexington Art League Board of Directors for two years, it was quite a different experience.  In the past, I have worked for an organization that looks to LexArts for funding.  As a member of the Kentucky Arts Council, I find myself in the position of being a part of the organization to which LexArts applies for funding.  It was one of those odd role reversals that seem to happen just out of the the clear blue sky.  I spoke with the executive director of the Philharmonic, the new maestro, and several other representatives of Lexington's arts community.  I had an interesting conversation with Scott Terrell, the new maestro, regarding community engagement.

I was recalling my days living in Miami Beach, and really looking forward to the 'brown-bag' days put on by the New World Symphony.  The NWS is a training program for world-class musical talent.  Every month, they had a casual 'get to know the symphony' sort of affair--all the symphony musicians would show up in blue jeans, and provide brown bag lunches to the attendees.  It was a very unpretentious sort of early evening, with the symphony conductor stopping at certain points in the show to educate the audience on how to listen to the music--through understanding the structure of a classical piece of music, appreciation comes naturally in its wake.  There is an introduction, an exposition, and a recapitulation, of theme.  In understanding the musical architecture, I started to listen to the music in a different way.  It really was then that I started loving classical music.  Nowadays, it takes little more than the 3rd movement of Prokofiev's 3rd Piano Concerto in C Major to induce an altered state of reality for me.  And it came from this incredibly friendly, unassuming, and rich community outreach program.  I owe the New World Symphony a debt of gratitude for that.

As it turns out, Scott has a very similar vision regarding community engagement.  We talked about the importance of access and community infusion into the local arts scene--of collaboration between established arts institutions and local bands, for example.  After some interesting conversations with arts advocate and local impresario, Jennifer Miller, it seems only logical (and incredibly intriguing) to encourage a joint effort between local groups (Chico Fellini, for example) and the Lexington Philharmonic.  'The Swells' play regularly at the Art League, and the crown attendance is incredibly rich, diverse, and textured for the 5/3 Fourth Friday events.  In my estimation, these are the sorts of collaborations that foster meaningful and pivotal cross-pollination between different demographics in our city.  Conversations abound along the wires about 'NewLex', 'OldLex', and every other 'Lex' you can possibly imagine.  Fair enough, but if we are to move forward in an innovative and meaningful way, I believe we need to live along that fine line where the two intersect--'NowLex' if you can handle another #hashtag.

Without descending into maudlin and lofty language, arts (and life) is breathtaking for me only when I am surrounded by incredibly different and unique individuals whom have simple yet incredibly deep passions.  My idea of a perfect dinner party guest list?  John McCain, Antigone, Gloria Steinem, Malcolm X, Evita Peron, Judas Iscariot, and Gandhi.  It's an odd group to be sure, but these people all had the courage of their convictions.  Right, wrong, or indifferent, each believe(d) in something.  As opposed to 'NewLex' and 'OldLex', I pretty much categorize people into 1 of 2 categories:  true believers and everybody else.  While I accord each respect, I want the true believers at my dinner parties.  Whether it's a belief in the importance of art; or the belief in the importance of integrity in leadership; or the importance of being able to make the perfect cottage cheese sculpture--it's the undying BELIEF and subsequent devotion TO that belief that lights up my world in about a million different ways.  If a person is passionate about the mating rituals of cicadas, I'll listen with authentic and rapt attention, provided that the believer speaks with passion and love.  It's the sharing of ideas and passion that connect us.  

The evening went as these evenings typically do.  Joe kept pulling me away from this awesome dip that often shows up at functions around town, I believe from DaRae's Catering (it's this absolutely incredible pimento cheese dip with some sort of homemade jam on top) to meet and greet.  I suppose it's unseemly for one of the guests of honor to spend most of his time stuffing cheese dip down his throat.  Fair enough.  But the conversation with the Maestro was encouraging.