Free Arts at One performances continue to entertain
By Jamal Al-Bayaa, Staff Writer
On February 25, Guzman Ramos invited his audience to sit, relax, and sip softly on the divine taste of music during his performance at Douglas College. For over an hour, he played arrangements by various composers on his classical guitar, creating a relaxing ambience that could provide an excellent mid-day break for students—or anyone really, since the performance is free. If only more students actually went.
There were two types of people in attendance at the show. A majority of them likely lived in New West or close-by, and a small minority of them were music students with instrument cases so big one wonders how they carried them up the hill. Other than those two groups, there was virtually nobody else in the audience. Maybe a few regular students were there, but it didn’t look that way. This is a free performance. Don’t students like free stuff? There are only two possibilities: either the student body doesn’t know about Arts at One, or they just don’t care. I was always in the first category, but now that I’ve been to one of the performances, I’m not in either.
So for those of us who don’t know much about Arts at One, here are some reasons why you should go.
Every Thursday at 1 p.m., Douglas College hosts a live musical performance by a musician or musicians of some kind. Overwhelmingly, the musical selection is classical music, although it is arranged by type of instrument, not genre, so it’s hard to say exactly what kinds of performances will be held throughout the year. The next performance is going to be Barrie Barrington on the piano, and will likely be a collection of classical Spanish music, judging by its title, España. In the weeks following that, the musical talents of our own Douglas College students will be showcased on March 24, March 31, and April 7.
Guzman Ramos’ style of guitar playing was a calm and dreamy serenade, perfect for locating that inner peace amidst the rush outside. Other performances will be quite different from his. Perhaps sadder, or more energetic. No matter the style, they’ll be new to you, each offering something interesting, unique, and profoundly relaxing, as soft violins and booming tubas both manage to be. Perhaps you’ll stumble across a great topic for your term paper while you’re there.