As of last week, I’ve owned Nico Muhly’s complete album “Speaks Volumes.” As much as I like his music, I’d put off listening to it in hopes of that right moment. Sometimes it just comes by chance, or coincidence–like the first time I slipped Adams’ “Nixon in China” in my CD player on a gray weekday morning. I remember going home that day and writing that “something changed on that drive.”

I invest a lot in sound and place.

Last night a similar experience was born. I was sent to pick up take-out dinner, which would be a swift night drive, under the bright lights of my towns busiest boulevards, and a few moments spent on untouched two way streets. It would be a perfect atmosphere for “Speaks Volumes.” I wanted my mind to explore in those musical spaces, where the structure is less visible to a musical novice like myself.

The choice was more fitting than I ever imagined. With each of Muhly’s work it was like the hue of the night sky was changing–the violins passages in “Clear Music” were pulling me places in the dark. My little sister rode a long with me, and for the sake of hearing the music uninterrupted, we did not talk.

This just in from Heather Pace Arnott, who is the marketing director for the Mobile Symphony:

At the MSO’s Nov. 10 and Nov. 11 performances of “Beethoven and Blue Jeans” concert they will be collecting non-perishable canned goods for donation to the Bay Area Food bank.

Anyone patron who donates cans will receive a free ticket to a future MSO concert!

P.S.: Yours truly thinks this is a fabulous idea, I love that the MSO wants to give back! I hope many patrons participate!

It’s tradition the morning after a ballet has closed for Dione (my little sister) and I to meet over breakfast and retell the funny stories from the night before. We always have differing versions of each tale, but reliving such events—like meeting our favorite dancers—is entertaining for us both.

Sunday was the morning after “A Gala Evening.” We woke, read the reviews, and then recounted our conversations with Albert Evans and Daniel Ulbricht. The major topic of our excitement: Daniel’s invitation backstage at New York State Theatre. The timing was perfect. We would already be in New York again for Christmas and to move into my new apartment.

“We need to pick a day to go to ‘Nutcracker’ so we can set it up,” Dione said.

“What did he say to do?” I tried to recall Daniel’s exact words. “Tell Wink (the artistic director at Mobile Ballet) and he’d tell him…or something?” I scratched my head. Dione’s eyes grew wide.

“You forgot already! He told us to get HIS NUMBER from Wink and CALL him.” We both raised our eyebrows at the prospect, surprised that Daniel trusted us with such sensitive information.

Mother was in the kitchen now.

“When are you guys going to go?” she asked.  Dione again grew wide-eyed, put a delicate hand to her chest, and said in the most comical tone:

“What do you mean, ‘you guys?!’ I only remember Daniel Ulbricht inviting me to go backstage,” she batted her eyelashes, while mother and I’s mouths hung open.  Of course she was joking and knew the absurdity of her claim, and we erupted into laughter at ourselves.  

All our stories from the night were such fun: Mother loved Albert Evan’s for saying she was “thin” (“I love it when famous ballet dancers think I’m thin!” she mused), Dione thought Amanda Edge was the coolest, and even went as far to say “Amanda Edge is my idol!” I couldn’t stop talking about how accurate and consistent Abi Stafford’s technique was, and what a typical Balanchine dancer Yvonne Borree was.

In the middle of our chatter, I was reminded that Dione and I are as opposite as night and day. Her perfect Saturday night consists of hanging at a dive downtown sharing pizza with a travelling indie band, and mine consists of filling at seat at the symphony. But our roads cross at ballet, and have done so since were little girls. It was exciting  to know we got to do all those fun weekend “Gala” events together, and that’d we’d be backstage at NY State Theatre together (with Tonya too), and that every happy ballet memory I’d ever have included her in it. Perhaps my love of ballet is a love of family, too.

Bronwyn Coffeen’s work at the Mobile Arts Council gallery.

Don’t forget: This Friday is the LoDa (Lower Dauphin) Artwalk in the galleries and venues surrounding Cathedral Square from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.! I’m sure the big art fans caught most of the work during the Arts Alive! street fest, but if not, why not go while the galleries are hopping and the artists on-hand?

Special hint for newbie attendees: Almost everyone wears jeans or casual clothes to the concert!

I was absolutely right in my last post. I was too excited to sleep last night. I hit the bed a little after midnight, and my eyes closed no later than 1 a.m. I kept staring at the clock and replaying all the ballets and conversations in my head.

I meant to post tons of extra things about Gala that I’d missed in my previous posts–but I was doing line-by-line edits on my interviews for the Press-Register that I hardly had time to! But I promise, they are coming soon!

P.S. - As soon as the interviews run in the paper, I’ll post a link to them so you can all read them!