For Example

I said I had things three weekends in a row, and three things each week (one a day for two of the weeks, and two in one day, and one on another day, for the third week) the past two weekends, but nothing this coming weekend.  And I added "Yet."  Well, now I do.

And I don't keep track of the things I either don't have room for, or don't choose to attend.

So this coming weekend, the Village has an Earth Day celebration on Saturday night, March 22, at 8:00.  It'll be live music of some sort, and general socializing.  Barbara Watts sent out the notice/invitation, and there was something there about leaving lights off.  Barbara might be a purist about not using electricity during our Earth Day celebration, but it had a kind of charm to it.  I'm not sure Barbara said, but I guess it would be further charming if we walked there (it's at the log cabin -- of course, I suppose) than if we drove.

I have pretty much stopped going to things on Miami Beach.  Most of my upbringing was there, and in my opinion, it has deteriorated.  It doesn't feel like "home" any more.  I did used to go to some events at the band shell on Collins at 73rd St, but I guess I mostly quit, because it's outside, so somewhat unpredictable, weather-wise, and sometimes noisy, traffic-wise, and I don't agree to pay Eventbrite, which is their ticket selling system.  Although they did erect a large tent or umbrella-like structure, so you don't get soaked if it does rain.

But this coming Sunday, March 23, is a flamenco show done by one of my favored groups -- Ballet Flamenco La Rosa -- so I decided to go.  It'll be at 7:00 in the late afternoon (now that we've switched the clocks, and it's what was recently 6:00 in the afternoon.  I contacted them to let them know I do not want to buy tickets online, because I do not want to pay the Eventbrite "junk fee," but that I'd pay cash when I get there.  I had forgotten that I donate to them, and the woman who founded, runs, and choreographs for BFLR, said I could have complimentary tickets.  I said I don't want complimentary tickets.  I want to pay for them.  Donating is not my way of paying in advance for tickets.  It's my way of giving an organization I treasure more of what they need to keep the gears working.  They need the ticket sales, and they need the grants and donations, too.  And I've been to enough of BFLR's shows to know I'll get more than my money's worth.

So, if you're wondering, I have nothing the following week.  Yet.  But my son and his girlfriend are coming from Colorado to visit me, and that will be more pleasing than five cultural events.  (The next weekend, though...)  Next week Friday is March 28, the last Friday in March.  My son and his girlfriend are leaving that day, but I don't know what time I have to take them to the airport.  The last Friday of every month is the free jazz concert at MOCA at 7:00.  It's been an age since I attended one.  I have no idea who's performing.  I generally don't care, and I just have gone for the pleasant surprise.  So who knows.

"D.E.I."

Last night, I went to a dance show.  It was my favorite group, Dimensions Dance Theater of Miami.  The style is based on ballet, and it's mixed with some modern dance.

The special feature of last night's show was that there were four choreographers, and they were all women.  DDTM usually uses a combination of choreographers, and most of them are usually men.  Last night's show, and the dance pieces, were fabulous.  One of the choreographers was one of DDTM's regular dancers.

Tonight, I went to a show called "American Patchwork Quartet."  The leader of the group was a typical Caucasian man, from S Carolina, and he played guitar and sang.  The bass player was from Japan.  The drummer was African American and came from the mid-west.  The other member of the quartet was a woman from India, and she sang.  The leader and the Indian woman appeared to have founded this group, and they talked about how they wanted to blend and incorporate styles.  At one point, the Indian woman sang what she said was a very well known raga (sort of spiritual song), and it was 3000 years old.  The leader mentioned "D.E.I."  The fact is that the only styles of music that were originally and uniquely American are blues, country, and jazz, all of which were begun by African Americans.

Tomorrow night, I'm going to a concert of classical Indian music in Broward County.

This raises the question of what "D.E.I." means.  This country used to call itself a "melting pot," so we had no resistance to mixing things, including the people who were here.  We have been diverse, our own Constitution guarantees equity, or equality (which we increased and perfected by making African Americans and women equal to Caucasian men), and we include anyone.  We accepted from France a Statue of Liberty that symbolizes D.E.I., and we ourselves added to it a poem by Emma Lazarus, making our D.E.I. position unambiguous.

One of the peculiar characteristics of the people who complain about D.E.I. is that they say either that unqualified people who are diverse are given positions for which they are not fit, or that this country is somehow supposed to be Caucasian male-centric.  The latter despite the clear and contradicting language of our own Constitution.  (Unless some people are literal and concrete enough to think "all men are created equal" only refers to males.)  And people are not given positions for which they are not fit.  The only complaint anyone could try to make is that given more applicants than positions, under D.E.I., the applicant who is not a Caucasian male would preferentially be given the position.

But none of those people complained about what they think is unfairness when only Caucasian males were given positions.  So they're being selfish, dishonest, or both.

But that has to be their problem.  We do try to address our mistakes and imperfections, and we will continue.  In the meantime, on a small scale, I went to a wonderful show last night, another tonight, and I have been to enough classical Indian music shows to know tomorrow night's show will be purely pleasing, too

What Almost All Of You Missed Last Weekend. What You're Preparing to Miss This Coming Weekend. And the Next.

 It's endless, and for me, it's a matter of what I don't want to do, or can't do (because of conflicting commitments), more than it is what I do want to do.  I want to do almost all of it.  I've whittled down certain things because of certain differences or even antipathies, so those restrictions are categorical.  But it still leaves me with more to do than I can sometimes do.  I've had artistic differences with Miami Symphony Orchestra, so I don't go there any more, and Nu Deco, so I don't go there.  I love Seraphic Fire, but I could no longer tolerate the hard wood seats, and sitting in churches creeps me out.

This past weekend, the Twyla Tharp group were performing at South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center (mosscenter.org).  I had a choice of when to go.  I chose Sunday afternoon, because I had other shows Friday night and Saturday night.  Friday night was Dance NOW! Miami.  Robert and Lauren Caban were there.  Good for them.  It was a wonderful show, choreographed exclusively, I think, by the founders of Dance NOW! Miami, Diego Salterini and Hannah Baumgarten.  I took issue only with the last piece, which was about repression and censorship in Portugal, and I would have structured it differently.  It was energetic and happy in ways it should have been increasingly empty and despairing, considering the theme.  But the dancing was great, as was the music.  The ticket price was $40, parking was free, and the show was in downtown Miami Shores (Miami Theater Center), which is very close to us.

Saturday night, I went to Pinecrest for Orchestra Miami's yearly "Beethoven on the Beach."  Well...  There was very little Beethoven (much more Haydn, Mozart, and a world premiere of something new), and it wasn't on the Beach.  The night before had been on Miami Beach, but I couldn't go, because I was at MTC seeing Dance NOW! Miami. It was a supremely good concert, tickets and parking were free, and the only catch was that you had to go to Pinecrest to see and hear it.  It was worth it.

Sunday afternoon, I was at SMDCAC, as I said.  It was a very fine show.  I think my ticket was about $24 (volume discount applied), parking was free, and the staff there are ALWAYS top notch.

So that was this past Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon.

I've already talked about this coming Saturday, because it's my birthday.  I had three options, and I chose two.  The third conflicted with my evening show, and you can't do everything.  So I'm going to Sandrell Rivers Theater at 61st St and NW 7th Ave for a Karen Peterson show (she specializes in using selected disabled "dancers" among her ensemble) in the afternoon.  It's not too far from here, tickets for that show -- I've seen many of hers, and they're all terrific -- are $20 (she ought to charge more), parking is free, and the staff are great.  One of my friends is going with me, and her sister is in town, so the three of us will go.  Then, we'll find dinner someplace, and we have the Spanish Harlem Orchestra at SMDCAC at night.  That's the only one with a respectable ticket price of over $50 each.  Although I could have paid more for a better seat at Twyla Tharp, but I decided to conserve money.  I would go broke attending, or trying to, everything there is to attend in Dade County.

This coming Sunday morning, we have a Village Farmers' Market event at 10:30, and I just have to be home for a patient at 1:00.

Friday, March 14, is Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami.  $40, free parking, A+++ staff.  I generally try never, ever to miss those.  This one is at SMDCAC.  The only ones I miss are the ones at Sanctuary of the Arts in Coral Gables.  A story for another time.  Saturday, March 15, is the "American Patchwork Quartet," also at SMDCAC.  And also $40.  I pay less for those, because of my volume discounts down there.  And Sunday, March 16, is an Indian classical music concert at 5:30 in Broward.  I don't pay for those tickets, because I give them instead a donation worth much more than the ticket price.  Also free parking, but you have to go to SW Ranches in Broward to get there.  There's Indian food, though.

It's entirely fair to say that it's not commonly three days in a row, three weeks in a row, for me.  And the weekend after March 16, I have nothing.  Yet.  I used to have more, because I used to subscribe to more things.  But it's pretty common for people to say that if you want cultural things to do, you have to go to NYC.  I tell them they're out of their minds.  There's more to do here than you can do, and more than you want to do.  It's top notch, too.  And it's relatively easy, if you include driving to Cutler Bay as easy, with low prices, and generally easy and often enough free parking.  I don't go to the Arsht any more, because they overcharge for tickets, use TicketMaster, and the parking is very annoying, expensive, or both.  But there's plenty going on there, too. I've stopped going to things at Miami-Dade County Auditorium, also because they use TicketMaster or Eventbrite.  I've also mostly stopped going to things on the Beach, although I admit they have good plays at the Colony Theater.  I used to go to Miami Jazz Cooperative when their shows were every Monday in downtown Coral Gables, but they've moved, and I just don't feel like going to near Sunset Place any more.  I probably should, because I love MJC.  And I used to go to WDNA's jazz concerts, which were either cheap for the general public or free for donors (I donate $5 a month), and occur at their station on Coral Way on some Tuesday of the month, but I just have enough to do.  And I should take my monthly last Friday night of the month walk over to MOCA for their free jazz concert, but I seem to have lost the rhythm (excuse the pun) for it.  I've seen/heard some great concerts over there.  If you don't feel like walking, that parking is free, too.