Music and More: Sara Penny Blog

  Keeping Arts Available by Sara Penny, CCAC Vice President      You can make a difference in keeping our arts organizations healthy. Many local volunteers serve onstage, backstage, and at their computers. Thankfully many generous donors make it possible to share the arts in our community.      "Museums, theaters, and public art installations are all made possible thanks to the nonprofits that run them. Because they pay for admission or tickets, most people don’t realize they’re receiving nonprofit services. And because those fees cover less than half the cost, performing arts organizations and museums are heavily dependent on contributions from funders and individuals," wrote Lori Guidry in an article about how we all benefit from nonprofits every day.        There can be a misconception that the admission price covers the costs of a play or concert. By the time you cover venue costs, costumes, sets, tech equipment, and much more t...

  Creativity: Essential in Art and Business by Sara Penny, CCAC Vice President "Creativity is the big bang. It's the genesis. There would be no mathematics if it wasn't for human beings' infinite creativity. There would be no science because creativity's embedded within science and not the other way around," said T Bone Burnett, musician and producer. One of my students gave me  Two Beats Ahead  by Panos A. Panay and R. Michael Hendrix. The book explores how artists and business can cooperate for innovation. It is not that art and business are at odds. It is that they benefit from incorporating both worlds. "I have always believed that the best outcomes in life come from the discipline of business combined with the chaos of art.  All successful musicians are entrepreneurs and all great business leaders are artists," Kevin O'Leary, investor in the book's review. Artists have to develop some business skills to succeed and many individuals have ...

  Exploring New Possibilities  By Sara Penny  What do you want to learn? My list is longer than the time available, so I just plug away with reading and learning. I feel fortunate to live in a community that values education and has so many resources.  Communities with universities enjoy extra vibrancy and many opportunities to explore new possibilities. Southern Utah University offers events open to the public, from dance and theater to art exhibits and sports. The new Music Building under construction will be a welcome addition.   So, I was surprised to read that only half of Americans view educational institutions as a positive. Maybe I am just lucky that I have seen more positives than other people see.   Pew Research reports “Americans’ views of whether educational institutions are having a positive or negative impact on the country are essentially unchanged since late 2022. About half (53%) say colleges and universities are having a positive impact, w...

  Laughing at the Critics by Sara Penny, CCAC Vice President  Sometimes laughing at the critics is the only healthy response. Any artist dreads that moment when they share their work and wait for the response.  It can be helpful by coming from a place of caring or it can be hurtful by coming from a place of scorn. The trick is to separate the valuable comments from the chaff.  If the criticism is helpful and moves your work to a stronger place then it is worth considering. If it is negative with no redeeming value then it is to be discarded quickly and completely in the hyperfast "Let it Go" mode. Trevor Rozenberg suggests looking at one star reviews to get some perspective on criticism. This is a classic on the magnificent Grand Canyon, “Too big. Just a hole in the ground. Not enough benches.” My son thinks this may have been an English person who is used to green landscapes and lots of benches along the trail.  It makes me laugh about an entirel...

  Keeping Arts Available by Sara Penny, CCAC Vice President      You can make a difference in keeping our arts organizations healthy. Many local volunteers serve onstage, backstage, and at their computers. Thankfully many generous donors make it possible to share the arts in our community.      "Museums, theaters, and public art installations are all made possible thanks to the nonprofits that run them. Because they pay for admission or tickets, most people don’t realize they’re receiving nonprofit services. And because those fees cover less than half the cost, performing arts organizations and museums are heavily dependent on contributions from funders and individuals," wrote Lori Guidry in an article about how we all benefit from nonprofits every day.        There can be a misconception that the admission price covers the costs of a play or concert. By the time you cover venue costs, costumes, sets, tech equipment, and much more t...