Overture October 2013

October 2013

Naturally Inspired Houston Based Artist Bob Morgan Creates One of a Kind Pieces of Art With Wood and Acrylic Acadiana’s Publication for the Arts

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2 October 2013

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Acadiana’s Publication for the Arts

INTEREST-FREE FINANCING AVAILABLE! October 2013 3

October 2013

features

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CONCERT FEATURE Composer Glenn McClure celebrates the Atchafalaya with a new, original composition.

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THE HARLEM QUARTET The versatile quartet will serve Lafayette listeners classic fare and a dash of New York jazz.

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LOOKING AT PAINTINGS Artist Lisa Osborn Guides the Reader Through a Tour of a Virtual Museum.

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TRIBUTE Business owner and ASO supporter Judy Dunn speaks openly about the causes closest to her heart.

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FESTIVAL ACADIENS Lafayette’s Cajun superfest returns this October.

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THE HARP OF BRIDGET KIBBEY The celebrated harpist shatters stereotypes and offers unique perspective about the ancient instrument.

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THREE HARPS FOR THREE SISTERS The Spallino sisters’ music ministry heals the hearts of the elderly in Acadiana.

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October 2013

on the cover

The creator/artist Bob Morgan from Houston, TX gathers these pieces of wood near the bridge in Lake Charles, embellishes them with colored acrylic, to create one of a kind pieces of art. Mr. Morgan also creates large coffee tables, table bases, and full wall installations.

Dunn’s Furniture & Interiors supports local artists and prides themselves on carrying one of a kind pieces.

To purchase this piece please visit Dunn’s Furniture & Interiors at 208 Rue Louis XIV Lafayette, LA.

Naturally Inspired Houston Based Artist Bob Morgan Creates One of a Kind Pieces of Art With Wood and Acrylic Acadiana’s Publication for the Arts

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Photo by Lucious A. Fontenot.

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MAKE TONIGHT MEMORABLE. P L AY T O H E R H E A RT.

Acadiana’s Publication for the Arts

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October 2013

contents

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8 OPENING NOTES Jenny Krueger, Executive Director 10 FANFARE Mariusz Smolij, Music Director & Conductor 16 BASIN MEMORIES 22 GUEST COLUMN Gary McGoffin, Eagle Scout, Evangeline Area Council President, BSA 23 SMALL SCHOOL WITH BIG AMBITIONS Epiphany Day School

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32 ENVIRONMENTAL CULTURE IN ACADIANA Pack and Paddle 38 PERFECTING THE PRACTICE Dr. Bradley Chastant 45 PUBLIC SCHOOL ARTS EDUCATION Environmental Sciences Academy at Lafayette Middle 50 INDY FILMMAKERS SET FOR NOVEMBER INVASION Southern Screen

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54 COMMUNITY SEAUXCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Martini’s 56 STANDING OVATION Contributors to the Arts in Acadiana 58 SYMPHONY SEAUXCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Trible Piano Artists’ Fund

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50 Overture Magazine

October 2013 Vol. 1, No. 2

PUBLISHED BY

Discover the Romantic Moments in Perfect Harmony

EDITOR Jenny Krueger jenny@acadianasymphony.org

PROJECT MANAGER Rebecca Doucet rebecca@acadianasymphony.org

WRITER Marisa Olson marisa@acadianasymphony.org

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Carolyn Brupbacher carolyncb@me.com • 337.277.2823

GRAPHIC DESIGN/LAYOUT Mike Bedgood • Innovative Digital, LLC mike@inndgtl.com • 337.322.2854

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Gary McGoffin Kat Mavassaghi, Mariusz Smolij CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Allen Breaux Studio and Gallery, Inc. Lucius A. Fontenot Danny Izzo, Nouveau Photeau Kevin Ste. Marie, Lisa Marie Mazzucco Paul Wiancko MAILING ADDRESS 412 Travis Street Lafayette, LA 70503 EMAIL overture@acadianasymphony.org ON THE WEB acadianasymphony.org

Exclusively at

Overture Magazine is published nine times a year and distributed free of charge by Acadiana Symphony Orchestra & Conservatory of Music. No parts of this periodical may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of Overture Magazine. The owners, publishers, and editors shall not be responsible for loss or injury of any submitted manuscripts, promotional material and/or art. Unsolicited material may not be returned.

Advertising in Overture Magazine does not imply endorsement by Overture Magazine or Acadiana Symphony Orchestra & Conservatory of Music. Overture Magazine reserves the right, without giving specific reason, to refuse advertising if copy does not conform with the editorial policies. Overture Magazine does not necessarily agree with nor condone the opinions, beliefs or expressions of our writers and advertisers. Neither the publishers nor the advertisers will be held responsible for any errors found in the magazine. The publishers accept no liability for the accuracy of statements made by the advertisers.

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October 2013 7

Opening Notes

What Moves You? Jenny Krueger, Executive Director

Passion will move men beyond themselves, beyond their shortcomings, beyond their failures.

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I’m a professional musician, but never felt as though I was called to perform music. I feel called to teach what music can offer to others. I believe so passionately in my calling that I have sacrificed much in order to be able to follow it. As you read the October issue of Overture you may be struck by the common thread of inspiration and motivation that comes from following your passion, and the sacrifice, dedication, hard work and happiness that goes with it.

You will learn that harp virtuoso, Bridget Kibbey, and young harpists Sophia, Olivia, and Celia Spallino were called to their harp, because it was their adored vehicle of expression. Dr. Bradley Chastant was called to woodworking, because it allows him to see things from a different angle.

Bob and Judy Dunn live their lives in a way that not only inspires them, but inspires all who know them. Some are called by nature, living their lives inspired to preserve the very gifts nature has given us. You will learn that by reading about Some are called by others following their passion it might inspire nature, living their you to do the same.

lives inspired to Learn about the impact that teachers and mentors have had on uncovering and preserve the very gifts discovering a child’s calling, guiding them, nature has given us. while at the same time gaining inspiration from them. What a powerful force not only to recognize someone else’s calling, but to provide the tools and guidance for the student to claim the success that goes with it.

I hope that you are motivated and inspired by the stories in this issue, and continue to follow what moves you, and encourage others to do the same.

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Privilege entails responsibility and we feel privileged to provide this wonderful opportunity to enable our area students to hear great music.

It is an honor to give back to the community a part of the blessing we have received. –Anne & Eddy Knight June 1, 2002

Acadiana’s Publication for the Arts

October 2013 9

Fanfare

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5: Fate Knocks

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Mariusz Smolij, Music Director and Conductor

What inspires a musical composition to be described as “the most sublime noise that has ever penetrated into the ear of man”? What force must it project to be called the “symphony that wields its power over men of every age and one that will be heard in future centuries as long as music and the world exist”?

catwalker / Shutterstock.com

We experience a visceral response to the famous opening motif of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony: Dada-da-doom! A motif described by Beethoven himself as “fate knocking at the door.” The famous four notes in the pattern of short-short-short-long do not merely provide an introduction to the piece, but form the melodic and rhythmic cell of the composition, the “musical DNA” of the entire symphony. The turbo-charged motif penetrates almost every bar of the first movement, replicating itself more than 1,500 times in different voices and configurations. Its energy and rhythmic drive carry the music and listener to the very end of the final fourth movement.

Beethoven’s “fate motif” perfectly embodies the expressive virtue of music; if it has another artistic counterpart, perhaps may be compared only to the Mona Lisa smile in Da Vinci’s masterpiece, left, or to the famous lines from Shakespeare’s Hamlet: To be, or not to be: that is the question.

Endless analysis has been written about Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, explaining its form, thematic structure, and historical significance, but ultimately, none of it is essential. One need not be an expert to feel its power. Its greatness requires no explanation. Just come and listen. Better still, experience it live!

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Interesting facts about Beethoven’s 5th Symphony: • Beethoven himself conducted its first performance on December 22, 1808 in Vienna during a 4-hour concert. Despite a poorly prepared orchestra, and the building’s broken heating system, which caused freezing temperatures inside the concert hall, the work became an immediate audience favorite.

• The Symphony was played at the inaugural concert of the New York Philharmonic on December 7, 1842.

• During World War II, the Allies co-opted its opening bars to begin radio broadcasts because the short-shortshort-long rhythm spells “V” (for “victory”) in Morse code. In response, Nazi propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, forbid the broadcast of Beethoven’s 5th in Germany, despite the work’s centrality at the heart of the Germanic symphonic tradition.

• The work starts in a dark key of C minor and ends in C major, the Viennese key of sunlight; it brightens the finale and underscores the triumph over adversity.

• This was the first symphony in which Beethoven used piccolo, contrabassoon, and trombones, all in the finale, in order to achieve a march–like, “military” sound.

• The first complete recording of any symphony in the history of music was Beethoven’s 5th performed in 1913 by the Berlin Philharmonic, led by Hungarian conductor, Arthur Nikisch.

• The Symphony is part of Voyager’s Golden Record, a phonograph containing a broad sample of the images, common sounds, languages, and the music of Earth, sent into outer space with the two Voyager probes in 1977. In 2013, Voyager 1 enters interstellar space, becoming the first manmade object to leave the solar system.

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Talent means nothing without opportunity.

It isn’t enough to simply have talent. You have to hone it and put it to use; otherwise, it will go unnoticed. The same can be said for your wealth. Having investments is one thing, but for them to reach their potential, they must be handled responsibly. As Financial Advisors, that’s our job. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss with you how we can help you make the most of your assets.

Thomas H. Foard Senior Vice President Financial Advisor thomas.h.foard@ms.com

On behalf of Morgan Stanley, we wish Acadiana Symphony continued success, and proudly support their talents as we celebrate their achievements.

Robert C. Foard Financial Planning Specialist Vice President Financial Advisor robert.c.foard@ms.com 400 East Kaliste Saloom Road Lafayette, LA 70508 337-267-2521 www.morganstanleyfa.com/foard

© 2013 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

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Concert Feature

Building a commissioned piece of music . . . inspiration, experience, teamwork.

Marisa Olson

In collaboration with the Evangeline Area Council Scouts of America, the ASO will premiere a commissioned work, The Legacy of the Atchafalaya, written by composer Glenn McClure as tribute to the beauty and the people of Acadiana. The Symphony’s performance of this piece heralds the beginning of its three-year partnership with the Scouts, and highlights the Scout’s 100-year Atchafalaya preservation project initiated this year.

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A project of this magnitude requires input from many people, Symphony and the Evangeline Area Scouts, because young sponsors, scouts, musicians, composers, conductors, and staff people today also need to become more rounded in everyday from both organizations. life. Art and culture are as important as classroom studies.

As the old saying goes, “If you ain’t got culture, you ain’t got Mariusz Smolij - ASO Music Director/Conductor nothin.’ ” With so much music in the world, why did you feel the need for ASO to commission this piece?

Music and the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra are living, breathing organisms, integral to the community and involved in local current affairs. Historically music has always served as a mirror of human activity during particular periods in time. The ASO feels it’s important that we continue the same function during our time in Acadiana where so much culture and creativity abound.

Louis Perret, Board of Directors, Louisiana Capital-Sponsor

How did you hear about the collaborative project between the Acadiana Symphony and the Evangeline Scout’s Atchafalaya Basin project? What about the project piqued your interest and led to your involvement?

I became active in Scouting 11 years ago when my son, Max, joined Troop 446, and eventually became an Eagle Scout. I recently joined the Executive Board of the Evangeline Area Council.

We have the best classroom in the world: Nature and the outdoors. Scouting teaches leadership to young men, and that by working together, people from divergent backgrounds can accomplish anything. We instruct them to do a good turn daily.

In helping others less fortunate, you help yourself. Louisiana Capital supports the collaborative project between the Acadiana

Acadiana’s Publication for the Arts

Glenn McClure - Composer

How did you hear about the collaborative project between the Acadiana Symphony and the Evangeline Scout’s Atchafalaya Basin project? What about the project piqued your interest and led to your involvement?

I was so pleased that Mariusz Smolij, ASO Music Director/ Conductor called me about this project. He had heard about my involvement with the Letters to Mother Earth project (http:// letterstomotherearth.com), and determined that I might be a match for the Scouts Atchafalaya Basin project, and asked whether I would be interested in his idea for a collaborative project with musicians, local boy scouts and environmental issues. That’s how it all started!

What was your initial impression of the Basin once you saw it in person? What feelings were evoked when you

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encountered this country?

From the photos and informational materials provided by the Scouts, I imagined that this would be a place of unique beauty, but once I pulled my boat out into the bayou, I knew that my imagination was way too small. We moved along at a rapid pace. Our excursion reminded me of trips I had taken on rivers in Ghana and Haiti during my other musical work.

I grew a little nervous, because it looked like the bayou was about to end, and we were still moving at the same brisk pace. We made an abrupt stop at “the wall,” a point where the wideopen bayou transforms suddenly into a deep, dark swamp with narrow passages, shallow waters, and gators, all converging into a mosaic of beautiful sounds and the unavoidable anticipation of what was coming around the next bend.

In certain places the sun barely reached the water, because of the dense foliage; then without warning, the light would open up, bathing us in the warmth and hospitality of the Cajun sun.

At every turn we were presented with new surprises: water birds that were almost as tall as a man; a duck scampered across the water in a 50-yard race with our boat. Sometimes the narrow water would open into a vast, peaceful lake lined with cypress trees, tall grasses, and new wildlife. The Atchafalaya, with its contrasts and contradictions of light and dark, shallow and deep, noise and silence, seized my imagination and has not let go. Every time I sat down to work on this new orchestral piece, I was transported back onto the Atchafalaya waters.

What feelings, sounds, or images do you wish to convey about your experience to the audience?

My composition, The Legacy of the Atchafalaya, has two movements (movements are in music what chapters are in a book). The first movement is a joyful anthem written with Cajun musical gestures that celebrates the sense of home felt by so many people in Lafayette and by visitors like me. It features Christine Balfa and her musicians. I wanted this part of the piece to be just plain fun.

The second movement is a “tone poem” in the form of a letter to the Basin, and forms a musical picture of my experience of traveling through it. The opening starts with a Cajun waltz, driven by the rhythm of one of those big, beautiful Cajun triangles. The orchestra builds in intensity around the first verse until it reaches a sudden climax, in reference to that day when we hit “the wall” and entered the thick swamp.

The middle section of the piece takes the audience through a series of musical contrasts that illustrate the Basin’s narrow passages and wide-open spaces. All of these contrasts are held together by a steady pulse, much like the beating heart of the 14 October 2013

Atchafalaya’s environmental systems. The last third of the piece brings Christine Balfa and chorus back to a slower, lyrical version of the opening melody with a lush orchestral backdrop that mimics the Basin’s complex beauty.

What inspires your writing? Are you drawn to certain themes?

In this case, I listened to a lot of Cajun music, especially the recordings of Christine and her family. The Balfas are such important tradition bearers of Acadiana culture. I grew up with tradition bearers in upstate New York. It was such a pleasure to explore the meeting point of French, Anglo, African and Spanish cultures that blend together in Cajun and Creole music.

Another important source for this musical piece was scientific data. Since this was a work about the swamp basin, we had the artistic opportunity to transform scientific data into melodies and harmonies. The Scouts provided me with data on water levels in different basin locations. These sets of data show the relationship between various factors over time. Music is essentially the organization of various sounds over time. So, I took the sets of data, ran them through several mathematical equations, and aligned the number values with musical pitches.

As I listened to the music generated by each set of data, only some created melodies and harmonies fit within the context of this commission. The central chord progression and some of the melodic lines of the first movement are direct transcriptions of scientific data from the Basin.

Do you have a special ritual or activity that helps you transition into a creative frame of mind?

Composing is a continual activity for me. I am often thinking about music while driving, cooking, writing email, and I must admit, during slow committee meetings. Composing happens all the time.

Who, or what, have been your major muses and influences?

I grew up in a rural area of Western New York State that is rich in ethnic music traditions. My childhood was filled with the sounds of Scottish jigs and reels, Italian tarantellas, Puerto Rican salsa, Mexican comparsa, and some of the best Black Gospel you find in the North. When I began my living as a composer, I could not leave that heritage behind, even Overture Magazine

if I tried. So, much of my work is based on finding ways that classical musicians can work at the highest level with their colleagues in ethnic folk music traditions. This presents many challenges, the most basic of which is that the music must be designed to accommodate the many ways that musicians remember and reproduce music in diverse cultures around the world.

What do you want the audience to understand or feel about the Basin and Acadiana?

The Atchafalaya is seen in many ways. The gators, fish and birds see it as a place to live, find food and shelter, and raise their babies. The tourist sees it as a place of natural beauty for their environmental vacation. The fisherman sees it as the source of livelihood and the home of parents and ancestors.

The scientist sees it through the lens of data. The business leader sees it as a place to grow capital and to support the development of the surrounding community. The civic leader sees it as a gathering place of diverse constituencies in a world where division seems easier than compromise. The teacher sees it as a place to inspire her students to love and preserve for the next generation.

Everyone sees one part of the same basin. Every way of seeing has its strength. I would like to add the musician’s experience: the Atchafalaya is a world of beautiful sounds and complex interactions that breathe life into the plants, animals and humans in the region and far beyond, a place of great emotion.

Music is a language of interactions and a language of emotion.

I hope to add my small piece to the unfolding mosaic of all those who live, work, enjoy, and preserve the Atchafalaya Swamp Basin.

Acadiana’s Publication for the Arts

High adventure far too intimidating for the casual outdoorsman!

7 days

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6 nights

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60 miles

Kayaking through the nation’s largest swamp is a Scouting adventure you’ll never forget! Learn the ways of the cultures and creatures that call this mysterious environment home. Sleep on houseboats, in jungle hammocks, and in cabins. Fly through the swamp on an airboat, and enjoy looking for alligators in the black of night. Upon conquering the 60-mile journey, you’ll have memories to last a lifetime and gain an appreciation for this diverse and often misunderstood ecosystem.

For more information contact: EVANGELINE AREA COUNCIL

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA 2266 South College Road, Suite E | Lafayette, LA, 70508 337.235.8551 | Email: info@bsaswampbase.org bsaswampbase.org | facebook.com/bsaswampbase

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Basin Memories

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Catherine Schoeffler Comeaux Paddling from Myette Point Landing, mud bathing at Oscar Island, mountain climbing the spoil banks, tree scrambling at high water and fishing – catching nothing and not caring - entertained by herons, mullets, laughing owls and swaying cypress.

Shelton Skerrett

My father was THE ONE who started the whole Save the Atchafalaya Basin movement. He was the ultimate diplomat, bringing together National and State Government, Army Corps of Enginneers, Land Owners, Sport and Commercial Fishermen, to solve problems. He devoted 42 years of his life to that cause. His ashes are spread in sentimental places in the Basin.

Plastic Surgery Associates of Lafayette welcomes our new Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey S. Williams, to the practice!

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A view we love to remember: Dad driving his beloved boat, “The Tackle Box” (named after his fishing show on KPEL radio), cruising down the Atchafalaya River, with his ears flapping in the wind!

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Three generations of Skerrett men, left to right: Shelton Skerrett, grandson - Ben Skerrett, son - Dennis (Denny) Skerrett.

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A New Attitude in Classical Music

The Harlem Quartet

By Marissa Olson, Photos by Paul Wiancko

18 October 2013

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The string quartet is classical music’s version of a rock band. They study for years at some of the world’s best schools. They rehearse for hours and try to carve a name for themselves in the competitive world of touring artists.

The Harlem Quartet was founded in 2006 by the Sphinx Organization, whose mission is bringing classical music to inner-city school children. The Harlem Quartet is the vehicle of their mission. The Quartet’s original members were all first prize laureates of the Sphinx Competition.

Since its inception, the Quartet has formulated a complementary mission to that of its parent organization through the advancement of diversity within the classical genre by featuring works of minority composers.

The Harlem Quartet takes its name from the New York City neighborhood that holds a rich piece of American history – The Harlem Renaissance. Its style is all its own.

The Harlem Quartet brings “a new attitude to classical music, one that is fresh, bracing and intelligent,” says the Cincinnati Enquirer, and has been praised by the New York Times for its “panache.” The New Yorkbased ensemble has toured throughout the U.S., as well as France, the U.K., Belgium, Panama, Canada, and recently South Africa. Holding performances around the world, and introducing classical music to schools in Harlem and abroad, the Quartet feels in line with the cultural renaissance that Harlem represents for AfricanAmericans.

The Harlem Quartet has been featured on CNN and the Today Show. Its first album, “Take the A Train,” won a Grammy in 2013, and is currently sold out on Amazon.

“This group has a lot of spunk! When you go to a Harlem Quartet concert you are going to get a high energy performance.” -Kansas ReVue. Acadiana’s Publication for the Arts

1921 KALISTE SALOOM, STE. 117 PARC LAFAYETTE, LAFAYETTE, LA

337-534-8682 October 2013 19

Looking at Paintings

By Lisa Osborn

The main source of interest comes from the soul of the artist, and flows into the soul of the beholder in an irresistible way. Not that every interesting work strikes all its beholders with equal force‌ - Delacroix Journal entry, January 25, 1857

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Why I look at paintings.

The whole point of looking at paintings--at art--is to have an aesthetic experience. This kind of communication is what truly drives the making of art in most mediums. An artist must acquire skills, compile a visual language, and have the need to express ideas that are not specifically connected to words--this is the primary job of fine art and the artist.

Good art communicates the things in the world that don’t slip easily into words. Looking at art is most satisfactorily done when it is primarily a sensuous experience with the intellectual coming along as an enhancing condiment. One misses more by not feeling than by not knowing about what art is or means. An aesthetic experience is ultimately emotional, where looking becomes a kind of empathy, a shift in perspective.

Here are several questions I ask that help me to have, at least an interesting, if not aesthetic, experience with a picture.

• What do I see?

• How do I know that?

• Am I enjoying this?

Lady Agnew

What do I see?

A wealthy, young woman sitting relaxed, in a chair.

How do I know that?

Nice dress, young face, there is a chair . . .

What else?

The woman is sitting casually; her body faces to the left side of the painting, the chair to the right. She is looking directly at the painter in a way that suggests she is comfortable with him and that she is confident and self-possessed. Her clothes make it clear this is not a contemporary portrait. The lady has been cut off at the ankles but there is lots of white dress and it is her face-more specifically her gaze--that draws me in.

Behind the chair (remember here, that this picture is on a FLAT piece of canvas. It is remarkable that there is a behind the chair) there is a green cloth. It seems to be marked with Asian “lettering”.

Historical context is always useful when deciphering a picture, but it is not a necessity. All art is partially about the world in which it was made. Good art always transcends its time by impacting on contemporary thoughts and emotions.

This portrait is easy to deconstruct without having to know much about the artist or the subject. But it also does respond to a closer look and further questions.

Knowing something about what was going on in the Acadiana’s Publication for the Arts

John Singer Sargent , Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (1865 - 1932), Scottish National Gallery

world when this picture was made help to make it more interesting to me.

Did I enjoy it?

Yeah, it was OK. I like the green cloth part, as it seems like a secret the painter is telling me. He had to please his client but he’s letting me know he’s got more going on.

To be clear, this is only how I think--and this is only my unscholarly interpretation of this piece. It is obviously and by no means an exhaustive interpretation of this portrait.

What do you see? How did you know that? Did you enjoy it?

©iStockphoto.com/TommL

Ukiyo-e, the flat Japanese print design was of interest to and influential on painters in the late 1800s. Possibly the Japanese(?) characters on the cloth suggest an understanding of that and signals a kind of apology or reason for it being hung so close to the back of the chair even though the lady and the chair have depth and are drawn with perspective.

October 2013 21

Guest Appearance

Scouting: Prepared. For Life.

Gary McGoffin, Eagle Scout, Evangeline Area Council President, BSA

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More than a century ago, one man’s experience and vision forged an international movement from which the Legacy of the Atchafalaya has emerged. The experience of Lord Baden-Powell began in 1857 as the seventh son of an Oxford professor of modest means who passed away when he was only three years old. With the love and dedication of his demanding mother, Baden-Powell earned a scholarship to the prestigious Charterhouse Public School before joining the British Army at the age of 19. Baden-Powell actively served his country as an officer in Afghanistan, India, and Africa where he became a hero of the Boer War. Returning from Africa in 1903 as a hero and best-selling author of a field guide for Scouts, Baden-Powell’s vision was born. In that vision, all young men would be prepared to thrive outdoors, as gentlemen and as leaders. In 1907, BadenPowell hosted his first campout where he taught about twenty boys survival and life skills. From those modest beginnings, the international Boy Scout movement was formed. In just two years, the Scouting movement made its way across the Atlantic, and in 1910 the United States Congress officially recognized the charter of the Boy Scouts of America. In 1913, the first Boy Scout troop in Acadiana formed in Opelousas. New Iberia and Franklin Scout troops followed in 1914.

responsibility.

As a result, Scouting is more relevant now than ever as it teaches otherwise forgotten life skills such as first aid, cooking, fitness, swimming, safety, citizenship, nature and camping.

Most importantly, of all the many youth activities available, Scouting remains the only one created to build leadership among every one of its members— from the youth it serves to the adults who support it. Scouting offers the closest thing to an actual formula for success that exists on this planet: Be prepared. Pledge an oath to God and to Country. Live your life as a trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent member of our community. Do a good turn daily.

Our Legacy to the Atchafalaya is the embodiment of that formula. Our Scouts in Acadiana have made a one-hundred year commitment to the Atchafalaya Basin Swamp. The high adventure experience that the Atchafalaya offers is the centerpiece of the program—a program that will be headquartered at our permanent Swamp Base facility.

Along with the traditional Boy Scouting program, Swamp Base will also offer co-educational Learning for Life, Exploring, and Venturing opportunities, along with a nationally recognized Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Program (STEM) that is already evolving into to a STEAM program, which also will include the Arts.

With these goals in mind, The Acadiana Symphony Orchestra has memorialized this Legacy to the Atchafalaya in an homage by composer Glenn McClure to the beauty and the people of the Atchafalaya.

Since 1910 more than 110 million Americans have been members of the Boy Scouts of America. Our own Council in Acadiana—which chartered in 1924—has served more than a quarter- million members.

Though the twenty-first century provides more choices and more distractions for our youth than ever before, Scouting remains true to its core values of leadership and outdoor training. Our contemporary concerns emphasize youth protection, environmental stewardship, and personal 22 October 2013

You, too, can be a part of this legacy. It is open to everyone, youths and adults. No prior experience is required. Google “Boy Scouts” and your hometown. Or, just ask around.

Chances are you already know a lot of Scouts and Scouters who are doing amazing things that are a whole lot of fun.

Gary McGoffin is an Eagle Scout who is the President of the local Evangeline Area Council, BSA. He received the Lafayette Civic Cup in 2010 and has served as Chairman of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, Lafayette Bar Association, Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority and the Lafayette Public Library Foundation.

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ASO’s Conservatory of Music

Small School with Big Ambitions Kathleen O’Shaughnessy, Photos by Lucius A. Fontenot

“

Art is the heart of this school and it’s very exspiering [sic]” EDS 2nd Grader The young man who wrote this statement in his art journal was trying to say “inspiring,” or maybe “experiencing.” Or maybe he was coining a new word because a combination of inspiring and experiencing would be a great word for what learning is like at Epiphany Day School.

Established in 1982, EDS has always been committed to providing an academically challenging environment, and the hallmarks of a rigorous academic program in the twenty-first century involve presenting challenging material in age-appropriate ways to even the youngest students, connecting classroom learning to the real world outside of school, and including independence, problem-solving skills, and collaboration as the desired outcomes of education.

If you haven’t been in an elementary classroom in a while, you might be surprised by what you’d see and hear when you entered one at EDS. Kindergarten students spinning around the

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>> October 2013 23

room could stop and explain they are showing the earth’s rotation on its axis and its revolution around the sun, and they would use those words to do so. Second graders might be busily drawing Christmas pictures in October. That’s because they’re creating Christmas card designs for their school-based business; they create and sell greeting cards to raise money to support the local branch of the Humane Society. They are the designers. The fifth graders manage the business end of things: calculating material costs to set prices and make a profit, finding outlets for displaying and selling the product, managing inventory and processing orders.

In addition to the academic mission, EDS seeks to expand students’ horizons and connect them to their world through the arts. Because EDS is a small school, accomplishing those goals is greatly enhanced through community partnerships. The partnership with the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and Music Conservatory brings top-notch musicians to the small New Iberia campus for weekly music classes to all students as well as private voice and instrument lessons after school.

Recently, EDS was selected to be one of the charter members of Louisiana A+ Schools--an organization supported by the George Rodrigue Foundation

24 October 2013

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and devoted to enhancing education through the integration of arts into the academic curriculum. This partnership provided a week-long summer institute for the entire staff, as well as three years of ongoing training. That’s why, if you visit a fourth grade math class, you might not find them in their classroom; they might be outside, dancing in the shade of one of the campuses large trees while their teacher calls out the geometric shapes they must form with their bodies.

“Rhombus!” “Obtuse angle!”

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Epiphany is a small school with big ambitions. With strong family support, community partnerships, a top-notch teaching team, and a passion for excellence, students at EDS are preparing for future success and challenges. They will be inspiring and experiencing – “exspiering” citizens of the world.

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e h t r o “F ren” d l i Ch The Living Legacy of Judy and Bob Dunn

By Marisa Olson

26 October 2013

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“

When you are blessed materially, that prosperity is not just about doing for or acquiring possessions solely for yourself - it’s no fun doing it all for yourself. You’ve got to share it. The contribution doesn’t have to be on a grand scale; just a consistent, modest amount would accomplish so much. So many are blessed, who have the means and ability to help those in need, to support worthy causes. Why don’t they? If you’ve been blessed, bless the Symphony!”

Judy Dunn

Photo by Lucius A. Fontenot

Owner, Dunn’s Furniture & Interiors President, Acadiana Symphony Women’s League

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October 2013 27

J

Judy Dunn lends warmth, brilliance, and sparkle to her locally-famous interior designs and to the numerous philanthropic causes that fill her enormous heart.

The dynamic owner of Dunn’s Furniture & Interiors reveals a quiet tenderness when the discussion turns to children. Whether through her successful décor business, or her advocacy for children’s causes, one begins to see the connection between her personal and professional commitments. Judy’s passions center around home, making interiors warm and inviting, and providing love and vital resources to those who lack a nurturing family. Judy wishes for everyone to feel “as special as they truly are.”

Judy and her husband, Bob, are dedicated supporters of non-profits such as the March of Dimes, Another Child Foundation Romanian orphanage, and the Acadiana Symphony’s Conservatory of Music, which provides music lessons to children of all ages, including the disadvantaged of Acadiana.

Bob Dunn owns Megadrill Services Limited and serves as Vice-President of Another Child Foundation, an organization that serves at-risk children and families in Romania. Since 2007, Bob and Judy have

Buckner Group Home, which educates and builds the self-esteem of young Romanian girls who have been abandoned by their parents. Bob and Judy were pivotal in establishing the home for eight young ladies. House parents and a full-time tutor play a huge role in the development of the family atmosphere for the young girls who are taught valuable life skills needed to avoid falling prey to the traps of rampant human trafficking and prostitution.

When not advocating for the orphaned poor in Romania, or for the March of Dimes, Judy devotes significant time and effort toward promoting the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, particularly the organization’s Conservatory of Music that offers lessons and activities for the children of Acadiana, including those disadvantaged and at-risk.

Please tell me about what you do professionally here in Lafayette. How did you begin your career in interior design?

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would become an interior designer and business owner.

When I was younger, I was looking forward to being a wife and mother! I was living in Houston, and my very first job was selling beautiful, decorative plants to wealthy residential clients. The store was way across town, and I had to drive back and forth across the city 2-3 times in a single day during a four-day period in order to make all my sales calls. After that first week I sold one, ten-dollar plant, and thought, This has got to be dumbest thing I’ve ever done.

“I’ve learned how children are developmentally affected by music, how it improves their math, reading, even their social skills.” been helping the poor who attend the Point of Hope Development Center, a facility owned and operated by the foundation that offers pre-school and afterschool programs, hot meals, showers, and health care on a daily basis. When it opened, the center welcomed 40 children; it now educates 108 children daily, and quickly is becoming a refuge for community families.

The long-term goal of the program is to alleviate childhood poverty, and to support troubled families within that community.

In 2011, the Foundation partnered with the 28 October 2013

But that one ten-dollar sale led to my landing a decorating job worth $10,000. I persuaded a lady whose home I visited that, even if she were not ready to commit to purchasing a decorative silk plant, I would let her keep it in her home for three days to see whether it suited her décor. If she didn’t want the item after the trial period, I’d come back for it, free of charge. She didn’t have to bring it to the store.

After three days, she bought the $10 plant, and hired my decorating services for another $10,000. She recognized my potential. The plant and I both passed the trial period. Through her, I landed a $20,000 decorating job. My idea became so successful that I still offer the “live with it for 3 days” purchase program to all my clients.

Now I tell all my accessorizers at my store: “It Overture Magazine

doesn’t matter if you sell one plant, or one item of anything.

You’re planting seeds. You’re not there selling, you’re not there being pushy, and you never make someone feel guilty if they can’t buy something from you; it’s okay, because it will come back to you.”

that, I stopped playing again. I keep saying I’m going to get back to it when I have more time. Until then my piano’s just sitting there, accessorized, with candles on it! Now, Bob, he’s just the opposite. I got him the piano in the first place, because he thinks he’s Elton John!

Do either you or your husband Bob play instruments or have a musical background?

How and when did you become involved with the Acadiana Symphony Organization?

I took lessons as a child, but stopped when I got older. Bless her heart, I remember my mother waking me up in the wee hours of the morning before school – and I’m not a morning person – and saying, Get up and practice.

That experience didn’t endear me to the piano. But not long ago I resumed playing after buying a piano for my husband on his birthday. I wanted to surprise him by playing, “Hey, Jude,” one of his favorites Beatles songs, and practiced constantly until I had it down. But after

I have been involved with the symphony for several years, although not as actively as I am now. Your Executive Director, Jenny Krueger, used to be a neighbor of mine. She would tell me about the ASO Conservatory – so much that I never realized was being done by the ASO for the children. It has to carry on, it has to grow. I’ve learned how children are developmentally affected by music, how it improves their math, reading, even their social skills. This Symphony’s Conservatory is only one of two in the country. We must support it.

As the older generation, our duty in life is to mentor the younger ones. How are you supposed to learn, if you don’t have someone to teach you, whether its music, manners, or basic life skills? The next generation is the most important to us. Bob and I are focused on the kids. You have to help the kids. We have to take care of people. That’s my heart.

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>>

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October 2013 29

How did you come by your compassion and strong conviction to help others, especially children? Was it your upbringing or an experience that shaped your views, or your ability to connect with others?

Bob and I are very fortunate to have been blessed with success.

It wasn’t always so. We worked hard, and I never take our blessings for granted. Now it’s our turn, our privilege, to share those blessings with others.

My family’s southern values also might have shaped and influenced my attitudes toward others, and to children. Now Bob being British, he’s naturally more reserved and had to adjust to southern hospitality!

But after thirty-five years of marriage, he’s definitely come around! My son, Heath is grown now, but he and Bob have a very strong bond. Heath texts me often and every few days I get a call, and there’s always an I love you, Mom. That’s the kind of people Bob and I are, too, “huggy” and affectionate.

“I need our potential sponsors and donors to know the budget.”

When speaking with people in the community and promoting the symphony, whether your clients or business contacts, are you surprised by their perceptions of the ASO? What do they tell you?

30 October 2013

Some will say, I’ve been meaning to support the Symphony, or, I’ve been wanting to attend a concert, but I just haven’t. That’s why I make sure I always have symphony brochures of the upcoming season concerts so that they have something to take home.

People are most surprised when I tell them that the ASO offers programs and activities for their children, and that we’re not just for little old ladies anymore.

We have to open our mouths and tell people what we’re doing, because you just can’t assume or expect people to know.

You can’t rely on the media. You can spend tons on advertising, but nothing is as powerful as that personal relationship.

Everyone at the ASO knows someone who knows someone who doesn’t know anything about the Symphony. But when you hand them a brochure and talk to them, you will be amazed.

At one time, I was intimidated by classical music, and felt uncomfortable attending a concert. I used to think that classical music was for little old ladies who wore gloves, and it’s not that way, it’s fun, but people are afraid of it, because they think that’s what it is.

But they just don’t know - I didn’t - it’s a wonderful evening out, but more importantly, it provides a vital community service for

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our children. But people need to see it. We don’t just need to get out there and mingle in the community, although that is vital.

We don’t just need to get people to attend concerts, although selling tickets is critical, too. We need to get people inside the ASO building to see what we do, to show them around, talk to them about the Conservatory and all the other things that are happening. Then the “light” will go on.

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So you believe that the community support is already there, waiting for us to tap into it, but the key is bringing them inside our doors to see it for themselves?

Yes, to see the kids, see the staff in action. Even the symphony orchestra members. If it weren’t for each and every member of our orchestra, we wouldn’t have a symphony! We have to lift them up, and help the public see and appreciate what they do every day. I want people to know how hard the musicians work, that many of them belong to two symphonies, here in Lafayette and in Baton Rouge. They commute back and forth between the two cities for rehearsals and concerts while juggling teaching schedules for our children at the Conservatory. Some do all this and even work on the ASO staff. How many people sitting in the audience know about the dedication of the musicians? Nobody knows that story. Probably nobody even thinks about it. But if the people know, they will want to support us. Be where it is.

Start where you are. This is where we are. You have to tell their story.

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What else do you wish for the public to know about the Symphony?

When I used to go to a concert, I would just listen and enjoy the pretty music, without ever realizing how long it takes to put the performance together, and all the effort and expense involved in making it happen. Somehow we need to get the idea across how much it costs for the ASO to put on just one concert. No one has any idea. I didn’t have a clue until recently. We want people to enjoy performances, but not let its tremendous cost be lost on them: the salaries that must be paid to retain musicians of such high caliber, the salary of a top notch conductor, and the salaries that must be paid to the world-class artists we bring to Lafayette, down to the costs of theatre rental, advertising, printing, electricity, etc. It all costs money. The lights aren’t on – and it’s not ambience! (laughs)

We all have our part - Maestro selects our guest artists and chooses great repertoire, Jenny cultivates relationships with the community, the Board members have their responsibility – and last but not least the community itself needs to be brought in.

Everyone has an important role to play, and so much goes on behind the scenes in order to bring us each concert event – that’s what I want everyone to know about the ASO. Acadiana’s Publication for the Arts

Photo by Bella Blu Photography

I need our potential sponsors and donors to know the budget, so that if they have a heart for the Symphony and are enjoying it, they will be much more willing to meet our needs. If you’ve been blessed, bless the Symphony.

l

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October 2013 31

Pack and Paddle

Where the environmental crowd hangs out!

Pack & Paddle Upcoming FREE Events in October

Pack & Paddle Upcoming Events in October

Group Kayak Fishing Trip to Pointe Aux Chenes, LA - Free Trip!

Howl at the Moon Lake Martin Paddle Trip

This trip is intended to give a great fishing opportunity for those who have their own kayak and want to discover a new place to fish with others who have been there before. We expect to launch by 7am and fish until around 3pm.

This trip is offered in collaboration with the 2013 Yellow Rails & Rice Festival. As the sun sets, you’ll be sliding through the black waters of Lake Martin. After the trip, you’ll enjoy a unique supper on the banks of beautiful Lake. Bring a flashlight or headlamp for this trip!

Date: Saturday, October 5, 2013 Meet at 4:30am at Alberstons in Broussard

Price: $35 per person - Reservation Required!

Edible & Useful Plants of the Gulf South Workshop

Sunrise Paddle & Brunch at Lake Martin

Dr. Charles Allen will give this hands-on (actually, mouth on and nose on) presentation with fresh and dried samples of edible and useful plants. A brief overview of each plant is presented and then participants are encouraged to graze on the salad plants. Freshly brewed teas from an assortment of dried plants such as New Jersey Tea leaves, blackberry leaves, persimmon leaves, and others will be prepared for sipping. Jars of dried leaves of red bay, mountain mint, and other spices will be available for all to smell.

See Lake Martin come to life as the sun rises over the eastern shore of the Lake.

Date: Wednesday, October 9, 2013 At Pack & Paddle at 6pm 32 October 2013

Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 Meet at Pack & Paddle at 4pm

Price: $35 per person - Reservation Required!

Date: Sunday, October 27, 2013 Meet at Pack & Paddle at 7am Call 337 232 5854 or visit www.packpaddle.com and facebook.com/ packandpaddle for more info.

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Pack & Paddle is an outdoor retail outlet, specializing in kayaking, hiking and camping gear and equipment.

But P&P offers much more than merchandise. It gives guided paddling, hiking and kayak fishing trips to locals.

The shop also converts to a venue that hosts outdoor and environmental films and speakers, as well as how-to and where-to type seminars.

P&P attracts a wide cross section of the community.

Definitely a hub for the environmental crowd, it is also popular with fishermen, hunters, boy scouts, rock climbers, world travelers, and people with a thirst to live life outdoors.

The natural surroundings defined the Cajun culture came before our modern world of pavement and smartphones.

By experiencing these areas at the pace that these settlers did, locals can begin to gain an appreciation of the bounty of beauty and sustenance that they were blessed with. John Williams, owner of P&P, shares the underlying philosophy of P&P’s kayaking excursions: A problem across the nation, and Acadiana is no exception, is protection of wild areas and the establishment of access points to enjoy our public wild lands. We have always felt that in order for people to protect wild areas, they have to have a passion for them. Without experiencing them first hand they probably won’t develop this passion. This is why P&P’s mission is getting people outdoors to experience these areas first hand. Once they see the paradise we live in, they naturally want to become part of saving it for future generations.

Masterwork no.2 TribuTe To bob and JudY dunn

legacy atchafalaya

of the

In collaboration with the Evangeline Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Saturday, October 19, 2013 /// 6:00 pm Heymann Performing Arts Center

guest artist: The Harlem Quartet (2013 GRAMMY® Winner)

PrograM: L. Bernstein – Suite from West Side Story B. Strayhorn – Take the ‘A’ Train G. McClure – The Legacy of the Atchafalaya (Environmental Oratorio) L. van Beethoven – Symphony No. 5 in C minor, “Fate” Sponsors

And they’re making progress! In just the last few years, kayak launches have been established in 4 locations on the Vermilion River and several more in other locations in our region.

Williams grew up at Pack & Paddle. His parents started the store in 1974 when he was 12 years old. He cut grass, loaded canoes, wrapped gifts and worked around the shop.

Since 1983 he has been at the shop full time. In 1999, he and his wife Becky bought the business from his family, and they have been the sole owners ever since. When not working, Williams enjoys fishing out of his kayak, and spending as much time as possible in the brackish marshes exploring and catching fish.

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October 2013 33

Leauxcal Festival

Festivals Acadiens et CrĂŠoles Marisa Olson, Photos by Kevin Ste. Marie

Get

34 October 2013

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Bo & Geri Ramsay Present

Your Cajun On! Acadiana’s Super Fest, Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, kicks off Friday, October 11 at 4:00 p.m. in Downtown Lafayette, and the party runs nonstop until late Sunday, October 13. The entire festival is free!

The ultimate Cajun experience showcases the best Acadiana culture has to offer in food, music, and folk art. Expect to have the time of your life with thousands of your best friends at Festival de Musique Acadienne, featuring your favorite Cajun and Zydeco bands, the world-famous Bayou Food Festival, and the Louisiana Crafts Fair, which will feature over 70 fine arts and crafts booths, with just about every type of art and craft imaginable. (For more information please visit www.louisianacrafts. org.)

Saturday, November 9, 2013 /// 4:00 pm Heymann Performing Arts Center Fantasia 2000 – groundbreaking marriage of symphonic music and animation! Disney movie projected on large screen with the original soundtrack performed by the orchestra including selections by Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Debussy and Respighi.

>>

Pre-Concert VIP Party for Children Join us for musical games, dancing, face painting and cookies & milk with a real princess and other special guests! Come dressed as your favorite princess, prince or friendly character.

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Masterwork no.3

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On Saturday and Sunday, French immersion enthusiasts will not want to miss La Place des Petits, presented by Les Amis de l’Immersion, where the kids will enjoy Cajun games, crafts, and music. Just bring your little ones to the tent behind the Folk Roots Workshop near the playground at Girard Park. They will have loads of fun learning about the heritage of francophone Louisiana. And this year, the Festival has something special for the sports lover: the Louisiana Sports Tent, which will be located near the Bayou Food Festival. The Sports Tent will help those at the festival keep up with the scores of their favorite Louisiana team!

The big tent features wide screen TV’s and plenty of ice cold LA31 beer.

Patrick Mould, Vice President of Program and Development for the festival, has not missed a single festival and has been directly involved for 20 years. In his own words, here’s what makes the festival so special for him: Festivals Acadiens et Creoles is a great opportunity for a self-celebration of our unique Cajun and Creole Culture whether is our food, music, art or French language. And it’s a great opportunity to put on your dancing shoes!

Grab the family and get out to the ultimate Cajun fest, where you will be fed, entertained, educated, and uplifted, whether your tastes are traditional and folk-oriented, or your style is more upto-date and innovative. You can’t go wrong - but you got to go!

36 October 2013

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A Premiere Fundraiser benefiting the Lafayette Science Museum

$ 1 0 G e n e r a l A d m i s s i o n • V i s i t w w w. M u s e u m o f f e a r. o r g o r c a l l 3 3 7 - 2 9 1 - 5 5 4 4 f o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n • F i n d u s o n Fa c e b o o k Acadiana’s Publication for the Arts

October 2013 37

Perfecting the Practice

I

By Marisa Olson

In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Bradley Chastant also has been woodcarving for over 30 years. He began making furniture for his family for functional, practical reasons, but over time his handiwork became increasingly elaborate. He began creating heirloom furniture for purely aesthetic reasons, and gradually the pieces became less functional and assumed an “artistic kind of flair.” He now works with the medium for the sheer pleasure of doing so.

Chastant chooses wood for his artistic medium, because it possesses “visual and textile components that have inherent, natural beauty.” Through carving, the wood reveals a warmth and texture not found in other materials and media, and each handcrafted piece is a unique and distinctive creation. Chastant’s design ideas and inspiration arise from his appreciation for organic, free-flowing forms.

Chastant’s respect and love for nature provide him infinite sources of inspiration. He spoke with us recently about his dedication to the craft.

How does working with wood creatively impact what you do every day? Does it inform your medical practice and technique?

I’ve had a long day, or am tired and overworked, the artistic juices don’t flow as readily, but with time the flow improves and I’m able to transition to a different way of thinking while I’m in my shop.

Was woodworking something you learned as a child from your parents or a relative? Do you see yourself as continuing a legacy or tradition, promoting a set of values, or a way of life?

I didn’t learn woodworking from my parents, but my mother was very talented in designing and sewing her own clothes and costumes. She could literally see a picture of any style dress, then design and make the garment. She was extremely creative. I might have learned or inherited my abilities from her.

Did or do you have a mentor? Have you been a mentor yourself?

I’ve not had a true mentor, but have many people I’ve emulated and studied with throughout the country. I studied with an artist and television celebrity in Santa Rosa, California, named David Marks. I flew to his place and spent a tremendous amount of time with him in learning marquetry, which is the art of inlaying wood in order to create a painting or a portrait. I’ve also studied in Quebec under several craftsman who specialize in woodcarving.

Woodcarving is something that sends me into a positive, open frame As far as being a mentor myself, I think the most of mind from which new ideas can important mentoring I’ve done has been with my children. emerge, whether developing new All my sons work with wood with me. We’ve built many design techniques, or embellishing elaborate and exotic pieces, which we’ve given their wives techniques that I’ve already developed. and their children. We enjoy doing this together. I feel it is These new ideas carry over to my one of the nicest things that we do as a family. Each piece we medical practice, and help me see create holds so much meaning. These are special reminders things from a different angle. My of how much we mean to each other. aesthetic approach to facial plastics What advice would you give to someone who shows is significantly impacted by my woodworking. Honing my interest in woodworking? craft after so many years has taught me to trust my eye in terms of how I evaluate my patients surgically. I’ve always My advice is to pursue your interests wholeheartedly told my residents to do your preliminary evaluations on as you would any job. Never stop learning and reading, the patients, but ultimately, at a certain point you have everyday there’s more to learn, just as in medicine. One of to trust your eye in terms of what is surgically best for the the things I was told as a young boy is that the best doctor patient. I do believe there’s a distinct correlation between is not the one who makes the best grade in medical school, woodworking and artistic talents, as well as the talent and but the one who does the most and continuous reading after the practice of medicine. They say the practice of medicine medical school. I feel the same way about woodworking. is called a practice, because you never have it down, and it’s Dr. Bradley Chastant has been practicing medicine for 21 years. He currently serves as a much like woodworking: it’s always something that can be Clinical Professor at LSU Health Sciences Center and is the Residency Program Director in improved. the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at University Medical Center At night after my office is closed, I have to go into my shop with a different mindset in terms of trying to create. If 38 October 2013

located in Lafayette. Dr. Chastant is well known in the region for the difficult endoscopic sinus surgery and was the first to perform endoscopic sinus surgery and open rhinoplasty in Lafayette.

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There’s a fine line between too big and too small.

When enhancing the overall appearance of the face, balance is key. Is the nose too large or the chin too small?

Do the ears balance the overall aesthetic of the face?

Proportion is critical and requires a trained and experienced eye to achieve the best result. Balancing the whole, while enhancing the tone and texture of the skin, produces a more youthful, more pleasing you.

The hands of a surgeon.

The eye of an artist.

Bradley J. Chastant, md, facs

1000 W. Pinhook Rd. • Lafayette 237-0650 • www.acadianent.com

Board certified facial plastic surgeons Bradley J. Chastant, MD FACS & Jeffrey J. Joseph, MD FACS Acadiana’s Publication for the Arts

October 2013 39

New Music from an Ancient Tradition The Harp of Bridget Kibbey

By Marisa Olson, Photos by Lisa Marie Mazzucco

For millennia its uniquely powerful resonance has been described as the music of angels, and for much of its history, only persons of highest rank and status--priests, prophets, healers, and kings--were permitted to learn or possess it. Nearly universal was the belief in its sacred, organizing power to create a harmonious society and to calibrate the individual’s mental and physical well-being.

The harp has been revered for possessing direct access to the human psyche, and for mediating between earthly and celestial realms.

Despite its lofty reputation, some of the first harps, or lyres, were made from an archer’s bow: a dark hint at the instrument’s dual role in guarding life and delivering death, a coincident voice of psalm and of lamentation.

Whether in its current or ancient form, the harp weaves its mystique around those drawn to play it, and those within range of its alluring sound. The performers who carry this ancient tradition into our present are the new mediators of our past and future folk traditions.

Celebrated harp virtuoso, Bridget Kibbey, is the vanguard

of a new generation of performers: fresh, bold and contemporary in her style of performance, yet mindful of the instrument’s sacred and ancient origins.

Kibbey seeks to balance the instrument’s airy, ethereal sounds with its darker notes and percussive, rhythmic ferocity. An almost heroic dimension emanates from Kibbey’s performances. In her hands, the harp, whose dynamic range has been constricted by the cinch and girdle of “pretty music,” at last exhales and expands to its full, voluptuous register. “There’s a preconception that the harp is formal, frilly, sweet and docile - and certainly the instrument has been played in such a way that it reflects those qualities,” says Kibbey.

The harp as we often hear it today has been clipped and tamed, its deeper resonances muted, and its strength diffused with an overemphasis upon the delicate lighter notes in its pallete. I recently asked Kibbey to familiarize us with the instrument’s true character and history, and to help us understand why its ancient voice still manages to exert power and relevance in the modern world.

>> 40 October 2013

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“

I’m interested in music that acts as a bridge between past and present.

The harp has existed in many forms throughout history and throughout world cultures: the Columbian harp, Paraguayan harp, Celtic harp, harp-like instruments in China that date back to the ancient Mongols all evidence this. I want to help audiences get close to the harp, close to me, close to live performance, so that they feel the energy and resonance coming from the harp.

I think it’s really an exciting time for music in that audiences have greater access to music, artists, and the array of narratives that makes each presentation unique.”

Bridget Kibbey, Harpist

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October 2013 41

I’ve noticed that you don’t play the harp in the reserved, traditional manner I’m accustomed to seeing. At times you and the harp slightly sway together, as if dancing. At other times, you become physically forceful and pound on the sound box, as if sparring with or challenging the instrument - and the harp seems to answer and return your strength by exploding with unexpected sound and color. How did your current style of playing evolve?

I’ve been told that before, that I’m quite a strong player, because I love to bring out the bass and the mid-range of the harp. I love exploring its register and reaching for the rich, darker notes in its color pallete. I definitely relate to the physicality of playing the harp, and probably delight in that onstage without even knowing it! As a soloist, I want to express a full range of instruments in one.

I really want it to feel like a full orchestra, and the harp is capable of that. Increasing its capabilities and expanding its timbre and inflection - that’s something I’m always looking for when I’m practicing and performing.

The harp as it exists today is so special and unique, because it has this large, resonating box capable of producing vast, incredible sound, a resonance that can completely surround an audience like a big hug. The listener responds instinctively to feeling held within that deep resonance. This full, lush sound is why I love playing the harp.

Also, as harpists, we make direct contact with the strings with our fingers. There’s something so sensual and stunning about that.

(Argentinian), de Falla (Spanish), Rodrigo (Spanish), and d’Rivera (Cuban). Are these composers becoming incorporated into the standard repertoire, or are they your own special emphasis?

Ginastera is one of our standard composers, and many harpists perform Rodrigo’s Concierto Serenata. Regarding the others, many harpists today transcribe their own music. I love adapting repertoire to my instrument, especially Baroque and folk-inflected music. Harpists in the past have transcribed Spanish guitar repertoire – such as works by de Falla - because the harp is like a massive guitar. But the harp is versatile in its ability to mirror different instruments from different periods. As a Baroque instrument it can resemble a lute, a harpsichord, even a clavichord. The harp has always lent itself to cross-genre transcriptions, and its longevity and relevance arise from its ancient ability to broadly adapt itself to diverse cultures. It can emerge from its primitive simplicity and transform into an exalted and sophisticated instrument, depending on the needs and tastes of the time. One will experience that in this program hearing Debussy’s Danses Sacreé et Profane, and Marcel Grandjany’s Aria in Classic Style right alongside newer folk-inspired works for harp

by Paquito D’Rivera and Kinan Azmeh.

“There’s a preconception that the harp is formal, frilly, sweet and docile”

Did you feel an affinity for the harp as it was played during a certain period or milieu? What musical traditions influence your performance and choice of repertoire?

On a broader level, I’m drawn to any folk tradition, because it’s straight from the human spirit – dancing and singing.

There’s nothing I love more than experiencing (planned or impromptu!!) live Flamenco in a wine bar in the Village, Celtic sessions in my local Irish Pub, dancing salsa with my fellow Dominican neighbors at a bar near Grand Central Station, hearing choro in a street festival when I was recently performing in Brazil, or being bombarded with an African drumming corps right within the cars of my NYC subway line! These are ancient or adapted traditions that speak to us immediately, touching the heart. So, I feel a deep, immediate connection to a global gamut of folk traditions.

I’m especially drawn to music of the Americas, because one just has to dance to this music, especially Salsa and Brazilian Samba/choro. When I’m not traveling so much, I love to go out dancing. With the influence of African rhythms, these sounds and rhythms are so sultry and vibrant, and again, it’s the dance form I’m most attracted to. Whether Columbian, Venezuelan, or Brazilian, they’re all distinct from each other, but all possess this immense vitality that compels you to move.

You feature many Spanish and South American pieces in your programming, for example, Ginastera 42 October 2013

What do you believe are the needs and tastes of our time, of the new generation of harp players?

I have to be challenged. I tend to get addicted to finding new repertoire. Many of my colleagues feel the same way. In my own current transcription projects, I’m collaborating with inspiring and incredible composers from a variety of traditions: Kati Agocs from Canada, Kinan Azmeh from Syria, David Bruce from Venezuela, Susie Ibarra from the Philippines, Paquito d’Rivera of Cuba.

Again, what I most love about the harp is its wide dynamic range and color.

The composers that I’m attracted to understand that, and they exploit the harp’s dynamic potential.

What I’ve really been interested in these days is working with composers who are born in other countries who’ve moved to NYC, and are writing pieces for the harp that reflect their native culture. They use Overture Magazine

their native folk music as a point of departure not necessarily folk music, per se, but they’re influenced by it. You can definitely hear it in their writing, but they still showcase their own individual voice.

Who are your muses and influences?

The best repertoire is created, regardless of instrument, when the composer and musician come together and collaborate intimately as each other’s muse. Kati Agocs, the first composer I collaborated with on my first album, Love Has Come Again, changed my technique, because she wanted the first movement of her piece to evoke bluegrass on the harp. In order to have the agility for that type of repertoire, and make the melody sing clearly in the lower range of the harp, I had to change my technique and that made me a better player. It was a two-way street: Kati was learning about the harp, but she also helped me learn more about the harp’s capabilities, because she asked me to do things I had never done before.

However, my teacher at Juilliard, Nancy Allen, has influenced me the most, and was really helpful with the development of my technique. She’s an incredible soloist, one of the cleanest, most beautiful players I’ve ever heard, just an incredible musician.

She has taken the harp to new places, and really inspired me.

She still does.

When did you begin playing harp, and how did you come to choose it as your main instrument?

I began playing the harp when I was nine years old. I first encountered the harp when I saw a woman playing it in church, Jan Bishop, who immediately became my first teacher. I was drawn by the way it sounded, and the way she looked as she was playing. My dad noticed how much I was affected by it, and offered to sign me up for lessons. I always say that if he would have known how much it cost and what a pain it is to move it, he never would have suggested it! What can I say, I’m highmaintenance by profession! But we’re all glad you did, Dad. I had been playing piano since the age of three. My parents were lovely in insisting that their children have music lessons, so we were serious about music at an early age. I’d also studied oboe, but the piano background was very useful when I switched to harp. From the age of five I knew I wanted to be a musician, but, when I was in college and it came time to focus on an instrument, I thought about which instrument I loved spending time with, struggling with, and it was clearly the harp. I realized, “I’ll be spending my life honing this craft, I better choose the instrument that I love being with.” It does feel like a partner.

The harp isn’t just a piece of wood, but an adored vehicle of expression, I just love it. I even miss playing when I’m on vacation. I just really adore playing the harp.

What do you see for the harp’s future in American society?

Is the instrument as popular with the next generation of musicians, or do you see declining interest?

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I feel we’re in resurgence right now. One example we’re probably all familiar with is Joanna Newsome’s brilliant use of the harp. It’s not uncommon to hear the harp in surprising places in surprising ways. I’ve been recording with Ellie Goulding and The National the past couple years. Or, check out Edmar Castaneda, a Columbian jazz harp phenom. From a traditional standpoint, harpists are getting better and better.

At Juilliard where I teach pre-college and adjudicate juries in the college level, we have so many incredible young harpists, the level of playing increases with each passing year. Something that’s on my heart is to bring the harp to new audiences, showcasing how much it really can do, by bridging folk and classical mediums.

We’ve become such a visually-oriented society at the expense, almost the exclusion, of hearing. Since “seeing” has become a short cut to relating to the world, how do we cultivate an appreciation for listening to music, or for the subtle colors and timbres emanating from an instrument such as the harp?

It’s all about live performance, getting people out to hear and experience the sounds. We need to come up with creative platforms for audiences to access and experience live music in a meaningful way, to help them engage with the sensuality and physicality of music. And that’s something I want to do. I want to share in events that help audiences get close to the harp, close to me, close to live performance, so that they feel the energy, that resonance coming from the harp. I think it’s an exciting time for music, because audiences are open to hearing music in new spaces, in new ways. We’re all explorers in some way, and music is often the vehicle for this. My job is to craft an experience that lets audiences play and explore.

Bridget Kibbey will be performing live at the Acadiana Center for the Arts on Sunday, October 6, 2013 at 3:00 pm. Tickets are available online at www.acadianasymphony.org. You also can learn more about Kibbey on her website at www.bridgetkibbey.com.

October 2013 43

Symphony Series

2013-2014 Hubbell Chamber Music Series Marisa Olson

Music lovers who prefer a more intimate concert experience will not want to miss the Symphony’s Hubbell Chamber Music Series at the Acadiana Centers for the Arts. Because of its intimate nature, chamber music is often described as “the music of friends,” traditionally, a composition for a small group of musicians that could fit within a palace’s private chamber, or bedroom.

The Symphony will provide a fresh, contemporary interpretation of chamber music by featuring ascendant and acclaimed stars such as the Series tickets are still available at a great value of $120 highly-celebrated for all four Chamber concerts. To learn more or to buy Marcin Dylla, your tickets, please visit www.acadianasymphony.org or a Polish guitar call 337-232-4277 ext. 1. virtuoso who has won every guitar competition award in the world, and the harpist powerhouse Bridget Kibbey, who thralls audiences with her singular blend of “new music” and traditionalist elements. Lovers can delight in the Heartstrings concert on Valentines’ Day with ASO’s chamber orchestra cello players and a romantic tapas, wine and dessert dinner prepared specially by Tsunami. The formidable José Feghali, a Van Cliburn International Piano Competition gold medalist, will close out the Chamber Series with music by Beethoven, Chopin, and the famous “Trout Quintet” by Schubert.

44 October 2013

Overture Magazine

Public School Arts

Science Through Service

Stacy Hargrove, Academy Director, Lafayette Middle School, Environmental Sciences Academy, Photos by Nouveau Photeau Please tell us a little about the philosophy behind the Lafayette Middle Environmental Science Academy? How does it differ from other Middle Schools?

Our philosophy is simple: We want our students to be aware of their natural surroundings, and to appreciate the natural world and the environment so that they will protect Louisiana’s ecosystems. We work hard to teach environmental science, but moreso to instill a sense of personal responsibility for our planet. Our students are highly involved in service learning projects that positively impact our communities. We work with LSU Coastal Roots to plant bald cypress on Avery Island to restore habitat for the Louisiana Black Bear. We plant wetland plants in Grand

Isle to help save our coastal wetlands. We also have worked with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and LSU Sea grant for many years to conserve our Paddlefish population. Our students participate in the Master Gardener program to improve our school gardens. Then we bring all this experience, all the lessons we have learned, back to the students in our school and to the community.

How many children attend this academy?

We started with 11 students in 2006 and today we have 150 students.

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What lessons obtained in your academy do you think students carry with them for life?

I feel we instill character-building lessons that will remain with them the rest of their lives, and that they will pass on to the next generation. We teach them the current environmental issues facing our planet, and the importance and value of being a scientist. Most importantly, we instill a sense of responsibility and commitment, how to give meaningful service to the community, and why it’s important to use our hands to protect our natural surroundings. We teach that it’s critical they pass their knowledge on to others.

Our students love to peer teach and share what they’ve learned, even with adults.

Can you share a special story of a child who has been significantly impacted by their studies at the ES Academy?

Many of our students have been positively impacted by our academy. While some may not pursue a career in the sciences, many move on to a career that they love. Some have entered the medical field, others, the armed forces. We feel their experiences with us have led them down this path.

We are proud of all of our former students. Whatever path they choose, we applaud them for the time and energy they dedicated while in our program.

October 2013 45

©iStockphoto.com/dvs71

Three Harps for Three Sisters

“

I believe God chooses us to play the harp; it’s a grace through which we can heal and minister to others. So few play the instrument, yet most every harpist I have known tells me they feel specially appointed to the same mission.

Bette Vidrine, Harpist and Certified Music Practitioner in Music Healing & Transition

By Marisa Olson Photos by Allen Breaux Studio and Gallery, Inc.

46 October 2013

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Sophia At three years old, Sophia told her mother that she wanted to play the harp. Angie Spallino was more than a little baffled by her daughter’s request. She was strict about her daughter’s television viewing, and had not yet introduced her to music. Where had her daughter heard about the harp?

habit. The harp became her constant companion.

Around this time, Sophia’s great aunt Diana was dying from cancer in a Houston hospital. Sophia and her mother went to visit, and of course the harp came with them. Sophia had just learned her first song, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, and eagerly played it for her great aunt,

Sophia was unrelenting about playing the harp, and constantly reminded her mother. On her fourth birthday, after opening all her birthday presents, she turned to her parents and said with soft disappointment: I didn’t get a harp. Harp fever gripped the household, and mom was its next target. She had to find an instrument and a harp teacher for Sophia, but didn’t know how to begin.

A year passed. Sophia was still intent on the harp, and mom was still searching for one. Angie called a local music store, and was laughed at by the sales representative: Don’t waste your time and money buying such an expensive instrument for a five-year old! You’re better off signing her up for piano lessons. Angie politely thanked the gentleman, but the echoes of his laughter ringing in her ears only convinced her to try harder. Soon after her conversation who beamed proudly at her nieces’ accomplishment. with the salesman, fate struck. While antiquing one weekend, Angie found a beautiful Salvi harp. She bought Now 21, Sophia reflects: “That was my first performance on the harp and my last visit with my great aunt. I saw it on the spot. the peace on her face while I played. That day is a special Still, there was no one to teach Sophia. Through a memory I revisit often. I wish I could play for her again friend, Angie learned of a local harpist named Bette . . .”

Vidrine. Would she give Sophia lessons? Vidrine Eighteen years later, Angie Spallino still doesn’t know declined; she worked full-time and was not accepting how her daughter came up with the idea to play harp. students. Angie continued searching, but found no It doesn’t matter. Sophia still plays; her harp remains other potential teachers. She called Vidrine again: Would she reconsider? Again, the answer was no. Before her muse and confidante. Two years ago, she was hanging up, Angie implored: Will you pray on it? Two weeks awarded a scholarship to play the harp at LSU, but after later, Vidrine said yes. “I was also four when I asked for a year decided not to perform professionally, and now majors in fashion design. She continues to play with a harp. Even though I worked full-time, I couldn’t say musician friends, her sisters, and even composes songs no to this little girl.” Vidrine would become Sophia’s for the instrument. “Bette Vidrine taught me great folk main teacher for the next 15 years, and more little pieces, and has been so warm and encouraging. Also, Spallino daughters who wanted to learn harp would my teacher at LSU, Dr. Kimberly Houser, was very soon follow. supportive and introduced me to wonderful Latin and At five years old, Sophia began her first lesson. She Jazz works for harp. I’m so grateful to both of these entered Vidrine’s studio holding the instrument in a women.” relaxed, confident manner, as though it were an old

>>

Acadiana’s Publication for the Arts

October 2013 47

Olivia Three years after Sophia was born, Olivia graced the Spallino household. And, by the time Olivia herself was three years old, she had become mesmerized by her big sister’s harp, and reached for it at every opportunity.

It became a constant challenge for mom to keep the toddler away from Sophia’s Salvi. From her daughter’s irresistible attraction to the instrument, she knew Olivia would follow in her big sister’s footsteps.

Bette Vidrine got the call. This time, she eagerly accepted her second little protégé. Olivia’s lessons began when she was six, and the Spallino home was doubly filled with the beautiful sounds of the Salvi being played by both of its little angels.

in sign language, signed O Holy Night! while the ensemble performed, making that performance particularly poignant for the audience. Olivia’s fondest memory of ministering was in 2011, when she and Sophia drove to St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Nashville, where they performed for children of all ages in the cancer ward, including infants as young as six-weeks.

Olivia also loves to write poetry and to compose songs.

In 2011 at the age of sixteen, she self-published, Flower

Every week Angie took Sophia and Olivia to visit their grandmother who worked in a nursing home in Opelousas, but the girls missed having their harp with them. The grandmother asked the homes’ Activities Director whether her granddaughters could play the harp for the residents, and the Director enthusiastically agreed. No one could imagine the remarkable blessings that would result from that decision.

Sophia was eight and Olivia six when they began performing for the elderly at the nursing home. Peace and calm were visited upon the residents after hearing the children play, and the mood lingered long after they left. Love pervaded their music and their message, and the residents’ reaction was profound. Because of this childhood experience, Sophia and Olivia have a deep, abiding compassion for the elderly, and feel privileged to have ministered to them through music.

As she grew older, Olivia expanded her harp ministry to include the blind and autistic, and each Christmas performs with her teacher, Bette Vidrine, at annual fundraising concerts for the Affiliated Blind of Lafayette. A couple of years ago, Olivia, who is fluent 48 October 2013

Picker, a coming-of-age story about thirteen-year-old Amelia and her best friends. Amelia learns that people aren’t always what they seem, that she can’t change someone who doesn’t want to be changed, and that sometimes one has to move on and leave others behind.

Olivia currently attends UL where she studies English; however, she continues her harp ministry with younger sister, Celia. Each Tuesday the duo loads their harps into Olivia’s car, and hits the road for their nursing home “touring circuit.”

Overture Magazine

Celia

When Sophia was 7, and Olivia 4, Celia arrived on scene. This time Bette Vidrine knew her next little protégé “before she was born,” as she now was practically a member of the Spallino family. Deciding it was easier to teach music through piano, Bette prepared Celia for harp by giving her piano lessons until she was old enough to properly handle and play the harp. Celia began her harp lessons at age seven, and continues to play both instruments.

Celia feels a special bond to the harp in terms of its ability to spiritually minister to others, and is familiar with the instrument’s ancient role in healing as told in the Biblical stories of David. Unlike the larger pedal harps her sisters played, Celia has an Ivy lap harp, which was given to her two years ago on her twelfth birthday. Like her older sister, Olivia, Celia composes music on the harp, but also shows an interest and talent in a variety of artistic media, including ceramics, painting and drawing, sewing, and baking. Like her sisters before her, Celia has a deep compassion for the elderly, and feels privileged to carry on the tradition of ministering to them through music.

Acadiana’s Publication for the Arts

October 2013 49

SOUTHERN SCREEN LAFAYETTE, LA NOVEMBER 14-17, 2013

Indy Filmmakers Set for November Invasion Lafayette is known as the heartbeat of Acadiana, rich in the arts, host of unique and exciting Cajun festivals, and the bustling hub for the state’s Oil and Gas industry. Lafayette’s star is definitely on the map, but the Bijou City has added another jewel to its King crown: It now competes with larger cities in Louisiana as a prime location for the independent film industry, thanks in part to the Lafayette Entertainment Initiative and to Southern Screen, which will soon host its fun, free, four-day Film Festival on November 15 through 18 in Downtown Lafayette.

During the festival event, the public will enjoy award-winning, independent short films, documentaries, and feature films, while aspiring filmmakers can attend open, educational discussion panels, seminars and demonstrations hosted by nationally-acclaimed leaders and artists in the entertainment industry. In this fun and exciting forum, advantage and opportunity exist both for acclaimed filmmakers, as well as for the community at large through the sharing of creative works, the exchange of knowledge, and the exploration of investment possibilities.

50 October 2013

>> Overture Magazine

Masterwork no.4

PrograM:

G. Holst – Christmas Day G.F. Handel – Messiah (excerpts) W.A. Mozart – Exultate Jubilate C. Saint Saëns – Dance Bacchanal from Samson & Delilah Traditional holiday favorites

I’ll be home for

Jennifer Welch-Babidge, soprano ASO Youth Orchestra, ASO Chorus

christmas

guest artist:

Available Now

The Other Side of the Painting by Wendy Rodrigue (978-1-935754-26-8; 461 pages)

An illuminating, lively memoir recounting a husband and wife’s devotion to the arts.

Thursday, December 19, 2013 /// 6:30 pm Heymann Performing Arts Center Sponsors Cherie and Ralph Kraft

Soul Exchange: The Paintings of Dennis Paul Williams (978-1-935754-23-7; 160 pages)

“These paintings in the Soul Exchange collection are over and over again about the kind of music only the soul can sing.” ~ Darrell Bourque

www.ULPRESS.org Acadiana’s Publication for the Arts

October 2013 51

SOUTHERN SCREEN LAFAYETTE, LA NOVEMBER 14-17, 2013

The Lafayette Entertainment Initiative offers tax incentives to attract out-of-state film productions, and Southern Screen’s film festival complements the Initiative’s mission by drawing directors, writers, radio producers, and 3D experts from around the country. Since 2011, film industry veteran, Julie Bordelon, has worked as Assistant to the City-Parish President/Film-Media for the Entertainment Initiative, while also serving as Executive Director of Southern Screen. Her involvement in both projects combines private and public efforts to promote Lafayette’s beautiful locations, and its beautiful, friendly people, as the preferred choice for film production.

Bordelon earned her B.A. in Public Relations at UL, and has served as location manager for Bullet Films, and as codirector and events coordinator of the 52 October 2013

Acadiana Film Festival. Bordelon brings valuable experience and uniquely-suited qualifications that will help Lafayette build a sound base for its nascent film industry: “Louisiana has become one of the top locations in the world for movie making due to our generous tax incentives, and I have seen how Lafayette could still benefit from the state’s success even more,” says Bordelon.

Indy film buffs and filmmakers of Acadiana will not want to miss this exciting event that comes only once a year. The film festival is destined to gain momentum and garner accolades for our City, while providing highcaliber entertainment for all to enjoy.

Purchase tickets and learn more by visiting SouthernScreen.org, or info@ southernscreen.org. Please check the LEI and the Southern Screen sites for a complete listing of events.

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October 2013 53

Community Seauxcial

Martini’s 2013 August 24, 2013 The Healing House Final Showdown on August 24 was a complete sell out. Local restaurants competed for this year’s “Absolut Best Martini” while supporters sipped these one of a kind drinks in their hand painted martini glasses designed by local artist Kat Crosby. This year’s winner went to Social with Ruffino’s coming in 2nd and Tsunami 3rd.

The Healing House is a non-profit which provides and supports the development and education for grieving children.

54 October 2013

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October 2013 55

Standing Ovation

This year marks the first year of the Maestro Circle, a group of dedicated Acadiana Symphony Orchestra (ASO) patrons who value the Symphony and believe in maintaining its excellence for generations to come. Maestro Circle members enjoy special perks and a close relationship with the Symphony they love. We invite you to share your passion and join them in their support of ASO. Bravo to the inaugural Maestro Circle members:

Rosemary Azar Don and Cookie Bacque, Jr. Bobby Bennett Nancy Broussard Sarah Chance John and Patricia Coleman Terry and Jan Cromwell Ronald Daigle and Patricia Cran Scotty and Mary Derouen Walter and Ann Dobie Robert and Judy Dunn William and Heather Finley Randy Haynie David and Eleanor Henry Kay Kirsopp Ralph and Cherie Kraft Paul Loewer Bob Lowe Marvin and Sue Munchrath Pat Olson Bryan and Kathy Pearson Bo and Geri Ramsay David and Barbara Reid Gail Romero Herbert and Renee Schilling Virginia Stuller Doug and Michelle Truxillo Paul Welch Sammy and Francis Winstead 56 October 2013

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SBA 504 – The Money That Makes America Work

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L O U I S I A N A C A P I T A L continues to lead the State of Louisiana in SBA 504 loan production.

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For more information on how Louisiana Capital can assist you or your clients with a low down payment on fixed-rate, long-term financing, please contact us at 337-234-2977.

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October 2013 57

Symphony Seauxcial

Trible Piano Artists’ Fund Kick Off Private Recital with Viktor Valkov September 19, 2013 Photos by Nouveau Photeau It could not have been a more perfect evening to honor Bruce & Madelyn Trible and kick off the Trible Piano Artists’ Fund. A Harvest Moon and the Vermilion River served as the backdrop at Will & Sandra Mills’ home for the intimate gathering of local piano lovers, students, and professional pianists who delighted in the brilliant, powerful, yet delicate performance by piano virtuoso, Viktor Valkov.

The 2013-2014 Trible Piano Artists’ Fund campaign will raise $71,000 ($1,000 per ivory key and $500 per ebony key) to ensure ASO’s ability to present such high caliber pianists for our community. Not only will these artists perform concerts and private recitals, this fund will make it possible for ASO to offer local students the once-in-alifetime opportunity to learn from directly from piano masters through outreach and education.

58 October 2013

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October 2013 59

60 October 2013

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