Interlude - September 3
September 3, 2020
Toddler music sessions, roundabout sculptor, Great Performances and more
Welcome back to Interlude! Enjoy today’s roundup of news and online arts opportunities.
Roundabout sculptor to share his secrets
You may not know Arlon Bayliss, but it’s hard to miss his work. The British-born artist’s fantastical creations in metal, glass and multicolored lighting tower over three Carmel roundabouts, including one right next to the Palladium (Homage to Hoagy, above). Other striking sculptures can be seen at Circle Centre mall, Indianapolis International Airport and elsewhere.
Such dramatic works of public art require collaboration and a sense of play, Bayliss says, and the former Anderson University professor will explain further at the Sept. 22 gathering of Luminaries, the Center’s weekday speaker series. His theme is Playing with Light: An Artist's Journey, and there may also be cookies!
Toddler music sessions start Sept. 17
The Center’s Child & Adult Music Classes are back this fall by popular demand, with two five-week programs that enable toddlers and their caregivers to enjoy music and movement together.
The interactive Friday morning sessions are led by musician Michelle Marti of ShooBeeLoo Music & Movement and Girls Rock! Indianapolis. The classes are designed for ages 10 months to 5 years, with each session introducing new songs, movement, instruments and rhythms. For the safety of participants, the classes currently take place online through Zoom teleconferencing and can be enjoyed from home or any convenient location.
Limited spots are available. Sign up here.
Enjoy a classic song of hope
Milton Ager and Jack Yellen's "Happy Days Are Here Again" was written in 1929 on the cusp of the Great Depression. It served as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's campaign song in 1932 and resonated throughout the nation as Americans sought hope for a new era of economic opportunity.
The legacy of "Happy Days Are Here Again" lives on through iterations in at least 76 commercial recordings, over 80 films (including 1930’s Chasing Rainbows, where it was first heard) and many emotionally powerful performances. Visit the Great American Songbook Foundation blog to see three performances and personal reflections on the song from Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand and Songbook Academy alumni Annie Yokom (’10) and Lila Harris (’20).
These performances are better than good
Much like the Center’s Interlude newsletter, the nation’s public media outlets are curating selections of appealing arts content especially for online audiences.
One example is PBS’ long-running Great Performances, where the “Late Summer Streaming Lineup” of past episodes includes ballet, Broadway, Sir Patrick Stewart in the title role of Macbeth, and two-time Palladium headliner Lang Lang with the Vienna Philharmonic. Take a look.
