While in Russell today working on a noisy piano pedal at the Deines Cultural Center, I had some extra time and walked down to a local coffee shop. There sat John Bitsas  Ad Astra Young Artist bass-baritone who recently graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Simpson College.  John was there interviewing some local Russell residents as part of the the upcoming #humansofrussell recital which features pairing up local residents with matching art songs. These songs and stories will be presented this Sunday at 2:00pm in the Russell Deines Cultural Center.  The Ad Astra Music Festival is not only bringing good quality music and performers to our area but enhancing the experience with creative programming and venues.

This reminded me an article I read recently, “Why Classical Music Is Making A Comeback.”  The article by Andrew Goldstein explores why people are not filling the seats at classical music concerts. He suggests that it is not the music, it is the experience.

I can say with confidence: it’s not that listeners don’t like classical music. They just don’t like the experience of classical music.

Music is so real, and so raw. It bridges diverse generations and backgrounds, connecting people around a deeply personal shared experience. It’s time we unleash it from the concert hall so that we can experience something beautiful together.

Ready for new experiences? Great music, talented artists … creative, engaging programming. Check out Ad Astra Music Festival for tickets to four concerts this weekend.