Lebanon Community Arts Council of Indiana 

 Whew!  This blogging thing is not for the weak-at-heart.  I have a new respect for those that blog on a daily, even weekly basis! 

Topic this week: What's in a name?  I knew when LCAC was incorporated that we were embarking on a new, somewhat uncharted adventure in this area, and the first real question for us was, what do we call this organization for the Arts?  There were, at least in my mind, only a few options, but I wanted to make a fair assessment and really do the homework. 

Most cities of any size or measure have their own organizational Arts group...Zionvsille Arts Initiative, Noblesville Arts Council, Arts Council of Indianapolis...each group holds the name of its geographical center, so why not the Lebanon Community Arts Council of Indiana?  The name is intended to give a specific location, but the word Community in our case is the key.  Although our events will be held in Lebanon, we hope to attract people from all over the region.  Does that mean that we don't care about the rest of the county?  Oh far from it!   We hope to attract as many people as possible to this area and share our events with anyone that wishes to join us.  It's been my experience that Lebanon sometimes gets left out of the mix, yet contributes much to the success of Boone County.  I would have to say out of all of the conversations I have during the week, this one comes up at least two or three times a day!  So what is our position on using Lebanon as our name?   

Lebanon because we love our city. 
Community because we care about the surrounding towns. 
Arts because that's what we know. 
Council because we can call it the LCAC and it sounds cool. 
of Indiana because we're proud to be Hoosiers!   

Lebanon lost a wonderful man from its community this week.  A loving husband, father, grandfather, and community leader all combined in one  person.  Mayor John Lasley had been an active member of the community for more than three decades. He was a deacon of his church, he served on the boards of the Boone County Chamber of Commerce and Boone County Senior Services, and liaison boards for Homewood Health Campus and Crown Pointe Health Campus. He was a member of the Lebanon Kiwanis Club, the Lebanon Optimist Club, the Indianapolis Murat Shire and Scottish Rite, and the Boone Lodge No. 9 F.&A.M. He had worked with the Lebanon Little League.
(reporter.net 05/09).  

Mayor Lasley belonged to all of these organizations for one reason I'm sure, because he loved and believed that Lebanon is a great community and he wanted only the best for its citizens.  He valued family and community bonds and wanted nothing more than just that...more for Lebanon. 

I wish so much that we could have had the chance to share the vision of the LCAC with John.  Not for notoriety or just the appearance to the mayor, but because I believe he would have loved our vision just as much as we do.  We shared the same dreams for Lebanon, a better place to live and raise a family in a simpler place and time. 

John loved the Lord and I don't doubt that he's in heaven at this very moment singing with the other saints.  Those dwelling in salvation through Christ Jesus will join John in that beautiful place.  I hope Mayor Lasley knew how much he was loved here on earth and how much of a difference he made in our lives and our community.  John's strength will carry on for many years in the community through family, friends, but most of all...his vision.

The one question that has descended upon every LCAC meeting and almost every conversation in regards to planning and organizing our events with the public is...
"Are we considering __________(fill in the blank) as having Artistic value?"

The general consensus being that all music would be considered in our programs as long as it falls within an acoustic setting, generally speaking, the genre of music isn't the concern, it's simply the way the music is presented to the public.  One conversation spawned the question, "What about electric blues?"  I found this to be one of the most interesting conversations I have every witnessed.   As the Arts Council, it's our responsibility to bring culturally-inspired programs and events to Lebanon, but the Blues are definitely culturally-significant...how could we not include this?    The question does not remain is Blues-inspired music cultural, of course it is, but the manner in which such a concert would be presented is the difference.  Screaming amps, head-splitting drums, and melting-microphones isn't exactly the vision of the LCAC for our community.  I respect all attempts of musical performances but there is a time and place for everything.  As a recovering cover-band musician, I know that those groups are thriving and making a pretty decent living in the local honky-tonks, jazz clubs and sports pubs.  What does come to mind is the old-school New Orleans-style Blues musicians that sit on the street corner and sweetly belt out some of the most prolific and life-touching blues-tunes you could ever find.  You can hear the heartbreak, the sorrows experienced, in every diminished chord and poetic phrase.   Hop over to Youtube.com  and type in BB King, or John Lee Hooker, for that matter...type in Johnny Cash, Folsom Prison Blues...it's not Beethoven, it's not Bach, but it's the physical expression of their lives, what they experienced, how they felt.  Whether it's music, an oil painting, sculptures, pottery, ceramics, even jewelry, it's not necessarily about the form, it's the reflection of the human spirit and its struggles, this, my friend, is Art. 

So I've never really considered myself the "blogging" type.  Although, I'm not sure why, my mind is always swimming with ideas and I love to write, so the two seem to go hand-in-hand!  In the spirit of our Creative Writing Corner, I thought it would be fun to jump on board and share my thoughts and experiences as this organization continues to grow.  

Although I served as a member of an Arts Council from my hometown, helping to bring one to life from scratch here in Lebanon has been quite an experience, but one that has and will  continue I'm sure to change my life forever. I feel it has brought me so much closer to the community as well as accelerated my constantly growing love and thirst for the Arts. 

One of my favorite Composers is the Russian native, Dmitri Shostakovich.  His peak prolific works occured in the mid 1930s during the rise of the Soviet Union.   Shostakovich's love and concern for his country was expressed deeply through his compositions.  His distaste for the Russian government bursted through his orchestrations and melodies like a million-man march through the streets.  His expression through melody was so evident that the Soviet Union officials at several points prohibited his music.  He continuously faced arrest, persecution, and rejection despite the fact that his works were considered monumental.   Quite often composers feed from their love of community and country to propel their inspirations and ideals of their work.  Although I have strived to compose my own original works, I'm still in the composer's "learning stage" and know that my orchestrations will someday come to life after the appropriate education.  In the meantime, an orchestration can in my opinion come in so many forms.  

As Lebanon continues to grow, mature, and in general become a closer family, I see the symphony of its residents unfold on a daily basis. 
From community festivals, church functions, charitable causes, and community actions, the melodies of each group rise up through the air of our small community to join in the clouds as a harmonious symphony, a result of team efforts, close bonds, and lasting friendships.  I feel a shift in the winds of Lebanon in regard to community pride this year.  The flowers are a little brighter, more people are smiling, and the energy is beginning to fill the streets with a warmth and a sense of being that seems to brighten every street of our town.   As each voice enters right on cue, Lebanon's parenthetical symphony is growing...people are listening and the music is oh-so-sweet.