From the Director’s Chair
Scenes From a (multi) Cultural Life
For at least thirty years, one of the main topics of conversation among us has been "Diversity," an idea that often sails under the flag of "Multiculturalism." Many moons past, we started by talking about how to "create diversity," (as though we could!) and have progressed finally to the point at which we talk about how to "celebrate" it. But the lesson of my own life tells me that Diversity is simply the state of grace in which we Americans live.

Music is your own experience ... if you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.

Charlie Parker

From the Director’s Chair

Scenes From a (multi) Cultural Life

March 15, 2012
For at least thirty years, one of the main topics of conversation among us has been "Diversity," an idea that often sails under the flag of "Multiculturalism." Many moons past, we started by talking about how to "create diversity," (as though we could!) and have progressed finally to the point at which we talk about how to "celebrate" it. But the lesson of my own life tells me that Diversity is simply the state of grace in which we Americans live.   [ more ]

Courage, Compassion, and Catastrophe

March 26, 2011
How does one understand the scale of sorrow when 10,000 people perish in a few moments?  Is it 10,000 times worse than losing your own parent, or even worse?  Do we dare to explore how such tragedy should feel in our own hearts?  And what is the role of art and artists when calamity strikes?   [ more ]

Artistic Statement

June 8, 2010
The Arts draw us in. They engage us first on a primal level—our hearts before our heads. From the beginning of human history, the Arts have been the universal means of expressing both our individuality and our commonality.   [ more ]