The Silk Road

Every year I buy tickets for some of the artistic events offered by the University of WA.  Usually I focus on dance programs (if you have never seen Pilobolus, I highly recommend you look them up on YouTube, or better yet, see them perform if they come anywhere near to where you live), but for some reason, this season I got tickets to a musical ensemble, Silk Road.  We attended their concert a couple of nights ago, and I'm still sort of vibrating with the memory.

This group was started by Yoyo Ma decades ago, and is still going strong.  It currently consists of 6 women from different parts of the world (Lebanon, Japan, Scotland, NY, Native American from the Carolinas, Armenia), all of them singers/composers/musicians.  It was a different sort of musical experience for me and Sweet Hubby.  Each number was quite distinct, reflecting the background of whichever woman composed it.  Each number used a different combination of instruments and voices.  These women are terrifically talented and deserved their hearty standing ovation.

This isn't the kind of music I would put on to dance to or to be background as I work in the kitchen or drive.  I certainly didn't come away from the concert humming any of the complex tunes.  But in the moments of hearing those voices and instruments, I was transported and transfixed.  Which is exactly the response art is meant to inspire, isn't it?  

Being part of a group

The local rec center puts out a brochure every season listing all sorts of activities for every sort of person.  It's through this center that I've taken yoga, tai chi, line dancing, ballroom dancing, exercise classes, and, most recently, clogging.  But for some reason, I had never before signed up for the one-time group events offered, such as hikes, movie nights, river rafting, etc.  Until this weekend...

I impulsively signed up to join a group to go to see some of the performances that are part of Seattle's annual Moisture Festival.  Although I cover it well, I'm actually pretty shy around people I don't know, which might have been part of why I hadn't before joined in on any of these group activities.  Of course I ended up being very glad that I finally did.

There were 10 of us, plus the event organizer.  We met at the rec center and then took the train to Capital Hill, the neighborhood where the Moisture Festival is performed.  First we spent some time exploring the Cap Hill Farmers Market (oh that gorgeous fresh produce!), but I soon peeled off and went to find some lunch and to read.  (I'd brought The Metamorphosis, a small book and easy to carry.)  I got back from lunch in plenty of time to join the group for the festival performances.

These were a hoot.  There was juggling and magic and plate spinning and music and comedy.  All very enjoyable, even the acts that fell a little flat for my tastes.  Every year I hear about the Moisture Festival, but usually only after it has finished.  I went once decades ago for a puppet show, but not since, so this day actually scratched two itches: attending the Festival and joining a group for an event.

After the show we walked to a Mexican restaurant for a lovely meal, and then home again. By the end of the day, we all knew each other's names and something about every person's life.  It was a very congenial group.  A long day, and completely delightful, despite an all-day misty rain.