Semester 1

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Arts TRYathlon #1: NextNow

Septemeber 7th, 2023, Clarice Courtyards, Ricky Montgomery

#music #concert

On September 7th, I went to see Ricky Montgomery at the NextNow Fest. I already knew about Ricky, however, this concert felt more personal compared to the others that I have been to because of the small environment that it took place in. It was an amazing experience to be at the front of the stage and sing my heart out. One of my favorite songs that he sang was “Black Fins." This song is about the grieving process of losing a parent through suicide. During my discussions in the Arts Scholars Colloquium, I gained a greater understanding of the variety of ways in which people interpret art and how they can discover new interpretations based on their own personal experiences. I interpret this song through the lens of my parents' divorce. In spite of the fact that I never experienced the death of a parent, I did experience the loss of my birth father when my parents divorced. It was also really special when we got to be the first audience to hear his new song, “Boy Toy,” live! At the end of the concert I ran to the front of the stage in hopes of getting a high-five. After Ricky Montgomery high-fived me, I started crying because I feel so connected to the music he makes and every word he sings has such power.

Arts TRYathlon #2: Choose Your Own Adventure

October 6th, 2023, Kay Theatre, The Prom

#music, #theater, #dance, #musical

As part of my own adventure on October 6th, I attended the musical "The Prom" at Kay Theatre in The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. The musical portrays a story of queer joy, with Emma Nolan wanting to take her girlfriend to prom, but the PTA cancels the event to keep them from attending. When a group of Broadway actors hear Emma's story, they support and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and help her find the confidence to be herself, and create her own prom where all are welcome. I really enjoyed the music in the show, especially the song "Love Thy Neighbor." I like how it points out how people use religion to discriminate or treat others differently by cherry picking what they want out of scripture. However, the song also uses the saying from the Bible "Love Thy Neighbor" to emphasize the importance of accepting people for who they are, regardless of their gender or sexuality. It encourages listeners to embrace diversity and accept people for who they are. My connection to the story in "The Prom" is based on the fact that I am a lesbian, just like the main character. It reminded me of the discussion that I had during the Colloquium about identities and how certain identities can give people certain privileges. In "The Prom," it is seen how Emma is not given the privilege to go to prom due to bias by individuals and how she has to fight compared to the straight students to be able to go to prom. The message of the play is that everyone should be given the same opportunities regardless of their identity.

Arts TRYathlon #3: Arts Scholars Event

10/29/2023, Craft & Chat, Nature Watercolors

#visualart #painting #watercolors

The watercolor craft and chat was very fun. It was an opportunity for me to meet a wide variety of new people. Individuals who are art scholars or who live in my community. I have used watercolors before and was able to share my knowledge with others. It was a great way to learn and grow together. Despite the fact that nature watercolors were the primary theme of the event, participants were free to paint anything they desired. Instead of painting a nature scene, I chose to paint a ghost (in the spirit of Halloween) and I also gave the ghost sunglasses and a sun hat to show how warm it has been recently. This event showed me how people can take a simple idea and make many different things. In addition, some people sketched out their artwork before painting, while others were more loose about it and created very abstract works. This reminded me of my first discussion with Art scholars and how people interperted pieces of art in different ways. I found that this event also demonstrated how people can also approach art in a variety of ways. Overall, this event highlighted the importance of freedom of expression and the power of individual interpretation.

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