Music and More: Sara Penny Blog

by Sara Penny, CCAC Vice President       The arts can conjure all kinds of magic.  The character Hecate is usually left out of  Macbeth . The play will never seem complete without this superwitch in future productions. Her entrance with a huge set of wings that need a team of helpers to navigate is an ultimate diva moment. The wings reminded me of the puppet animals in  Lion King , but on a grander and more diabolical scale.      Arts leadership workshops stress creating a memorable experience for the audience. That is part of the programming decisions for art museums, theaters, concerts, and dance companies. How can you add the sizzle that makes the audience sit up and take notice? Even better, how can you make it so good they share with their friends or come for a second performance?      The children attending the Utah Shakespeare Festival Greenshows have obviously found performances they want t...

By Sara Penny, CCAC Vice President          Abravanel and Alsop are internationally recognized orchestral conductors who shared Utah connections.  Marin Alsop recently received a “Golden Baton” at Abravanel Hall  in Salt Lake City from the League of American Orchestras for her dynamic leadership at the Baltimore Symphony, the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, and numerous other orchestras.      Her father Keith Lamar Alsop was born in Murray, Utah and was hired by Utah Symphony Director Maurice Abravanel to play violin and bass clarinet at age 17. “Maurice also gave my dad the courage to pursue his musical dreams, and decades later, Maurice became my mentor, alongside Bernstein at Tanglewood,” Alsop said. “One couldn’t hope for a greater role model than Maurice, a profound musician and compassionate human being.”      She was one of the first women to lead a major American orchestra. She sees the current upheaval in th...

  Savoring the Details By Sara Penny, CCAC Vice President       It is hard to see every detail. That ability to hear the nuance of pitch or see the exact details for painting a scene is valued in making art. Choosing the exact word for a poem or the precise dance movement moves art from the mundane to the exquisite.        "People rarely look closely," said Arthur Brooks. "They glance -- and let their brains fill in the rest."  His mother was a professional artist and she taught him to "Look again. Really look." This skill improved his art as he focused on the details, but also his later work as a behavioral scientist.      Savoring "means holding a moment long enough for it to leave a mark," said Brooks. I have thought of that word as enjoying food, as in savoring a garden fresh tomato or strawberry.  The idea of savoring the details for artistic pursuit or for other aspects of life seems useful to me.  ...

  Art of Listening  by Sara Penny, CCAC Vice President      "When people talk, listen completely. Don’t be thinking about what you’re going to say. Most people never listen," said Ernest Hemingway. A large part of any art form is the art of communication, but that also means the art of listening. What are you as an artist trying to communicate? When you go to a museum or a play what message do you hear from the artist?      One of the reasons former students still come up to me about both my husband and mother's teaching impact is because they were both gifted listeners. They made their students and friends feel important because they were intently listening. It was obvious they valued what was being said and their responses demonstrated understanding. They were also both avid readers and were always trying to learn something new.      It is sometimes hard for me to concentrate fully. An art gallery can be overwhelming to ...