The Fat Lady Has Sung

And she did it right here on this stage, when the SF Opera performed at Stern Grove, for the final concert of the 71st season this past Sunday August 17th. It was a great performance, and the acoustics were absolutely perfect. The opera attracts some of my favorite patrons, from old to young, and they are a very generous, kind group of people. I never feel more engaged with an audience than this one.

I made a decision yesterday. I have been a volunteer at Stern Grove for 6 years now, and while it's been a great run, I am retiring from it. Steven Haines and his staff are doing an excellent job with the organization, and in fact I ran into him in Hayes Valley last week and had a lovely chat about Stern Grove and San Francisco in general. I have no doubt that under his direction, the festival will continue to thrive.

I wholeheartedly believe in giving back to your community, but at this point, I am ready to return to the audience and leave the behind-the-scenes work to others. I realized that it has been a very long time since I have attended a concert on my own, apart from working at one. As I was walking through the park yesterday, it was without a sense of obligation. It was very freeing. I will continue to show my support through donations, and I will always stop by the information booth to say hello to the returning volunteers that I had looked forward to seeing every summer.

Now I am looking at new volunteer opportunities. This week and next, I am exploring two new organizations: the DeYoung Museum and the Slow Food Nation Festival. I also plan to return to 826 Valencia to see what writing/tutoring programs they are offering for their fall curriculum.

It's exciting - like getting a new job. What I am looking for is a position that is stimulating, in a different area of the arts than I have previously been involved with, and something related to what I am doing with my life right now. And just like with a job hunt, I want to make sure that we are a good fit for each other. Most importantly, it has to be manageable within my daily routine and something that I look forward to doing. My life is all about making connections right now, and I want to make sure that whatever I decide to give my time to offers the possibility of opening doors to future things, or teaches me skills that I can use for my own enhancement as a writer.

I like the notion of the volunteer/organization relationship as a two-way street. They say that that generosity is its own reward, and it is, and for that reason I will always have at least one continuous act of community service in my life, as well as the fact that I believe in giving my time to a worthwhile cause. However, there is no harm in making it something from which I receive a portion of personal gain - that, too, is free.

Stern Grove 71st Season

Deja Vu

I just rediscovered this CD from a few years ago, and I forgot how much I love it! It's by a band called Sidestepper, who played at Stern Grove in 2003. That was a great year, with acts from DJ Cheb I Sabbah, to Cubanismo, to Sound Tribe Sector 9 to this great band.

This song is called "Deja".

The Soundtrack of our Lives

Music is essential. I cannot imagine life without it - that would be like life without color! It brings people together, it inspires, it comforts, it exhalts. Music does not discriminate against age, sex, race, health, or financial status. We can participate by singing, dancing, humming, tapping, or simply listening.

Today I volunteered at Stern Grove, the free concert series that has been a part of San Francisco since 1938. This is my 5th year as a volunteer. Performing today was Lavay Smith & the Red Hot Skillet Lickers and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. What a joyous performance on an incredibly beautiful day. People were in wonderful spirits, and by the end of the afternoon, everyone was dancing and clapping in the aisles.

It was especially touching to support the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in their efforts to recover from the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The best and most soulful music often emerges from the most dire of circumstances. It was a reminder that even in the face of loss and destruction, we can still experience the pleasure of life.

I met a lot of people today. One of my favorite encounters was with an older African-American gentleman with a funny T-shirt. One side was "Good Bush" (picture of a woman's crotch), and the other was "Bad Bush" (picture of George W.) He had bought it in Australia. He had the most wonderful smile.

We are trav'ling in the footsteps
Of those who've gone before
And we'll all be reunited,
On a new and sunlit shore,

Oh, when the saints go marching in,
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Lord how I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in