Photo by Milan Loiacono
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade“ is my favorite orchestral piece ever written. The 45-minute suite is split into four movements, each based on a specific story told in “One Thousand and One Nights,” the Middle Eastern collection of folk tales. Ships caught in a storm, princes saving princesses and the ever-present Scheherazade entering the scene to tell these stories to the wrathful sultan who enslaves her — all depicted in sweeping violin passages and lyrical oboe solos.
It is a piece I come back to often. The technical prowess of orchestras who attempt to master the piece, matched with the rich storytelling and emotion coming from the musicians ignite a passion in me time and time again — a passion that is hard not to share with others.
I have been a musician since I was 5 years old. I have spent years getting lost in the emotive nature of classical, romantic piano and orchestral music. For me, music is a way to escape my reality and create an experience that links me, the artist, to the audience in an extremely intimate way.
Art enriches life.
Whether it’s a song finally mastered on the guitar, lines perfectly memorized for opening night, or eyeliner expertly applied on a face, art is the most personal avenue of self-expression.
In this magazine, we feature musicians, actors, dancers, painters, designers, singers, drag queens, filmmakers, poets, writers, composers, calligraphers, martial artists, makeup artists and photographers.
These artists teach us through their personal experiences what art means to them and how it can alter lives.
Art transforms us. An arts education can change the trajectory of a student’s life, and practicing art can heal. Drag queens can even find their identity through the artistry of makeup.
Art challenges us to face our fears. It forces us to deal with realities at home and the idea that success might never come as we might have imagined it.
Art shapes our experiences. We write stories inspired by close friends, paint the streets we walk on with vibrant colors and create sets to live in on stage.
The power of art and the passion of the artist is unmatched in my experience, and we’ve attempted to capture some of that passion in these pages.
