Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 2001)
THE BATTALION Page 3 -ral court. , saying hei 2 led the lif £; American," 111 try, hebetni soldier in the; cing, andasa iddle East. VtbvenH a r m o ny y! from Pap ior biologynt jonior const. pring fits be; scheduling;.; ject for oure it it.” x'idedifthe;. she said. nd begin toe strategic pk \ i sion." Oil ership and g. uilding the 8. uture.’ ” he wants toe a the BushSc; ' governments lational profs rinceton. five year hist ated classes«; . with researr inology. poliL tial studies,; ilcoat said."!: > implemenie: ; faculty and ini! to introduce i jkend hours on Sun: \ ;s. Wellborn's ; | southbound Is’ larriers are be' e Wes/ Camp ie lanes until tl 1975 Sell Clean Used Cars By John Salerno THE BATTALION It was an experience in a New York airport that strengthened what Robert Bluestone has always worked to instill through his classical guitar per formances — a sense of community. Faced with the dilemma of having to temporarily abandon his luggage and guitar, Bluestone soon saw the answer to his problem. “I saw right in front of me there were two guys wearing Aggie caps,” Bluestone said. “So I (asked], ‘Can you watch my stuff please?’ and they said OK. 1 just walked away and l knew that my stuff was safe. I knew nothing would happen to my $60,000 guitar. That’s the kind of place that Texas A&M has always |been | to me and I’m very much looking forward to spending some time on the campus.” It is that sense of intimacy that Bluestone strives to create in his concerts. “Even if it’s some place where I’m playing for 1,500 or 2,000 peo ple, I’m going to treat them like r<>63 The Bluestones bring intimacy to art, will perform tonight as part of OPAS intimate gathering series they are sitting in their living room,” Bluestone said. “Because that’s what it is to me ... a conversation [with the audience].” Fortunately, Bluestone’s upcom ing concert for OPAS’ “Intimate Gathering” series will provide the type of atmosphere that he enjoys playing for — one in which he can build a relationship with the audi ence. Creating this kind of surround ing is a goal Bluestone said he puts foremost in his performance. “What classical artists forgot to do was reinvent their relationship with their audience,” Bluestone said. “[I grew] up listening to folk singers who would tell stories about the music they were playing, make jokes with the audience and have the rap port and relationship with the audi ence. I always liked that better than the way classical musicians just kind of got out there and played the piece, the audience would applaud, and they’d play another piece.” So Bluestone decided to integrate the two traditions. Though he plays classical music, he appeals to the folk tradition to enhance his performance. “That tradition of folk singers talking to audiences is thousands of years old,” Bluestone said. “It’s been around much longer than the classical tradition, so I realized that that was the way. Talk to the audience [and] get some kind of context and insight into the music and what it means.” The “Intimate Gathering” series provides the perfect setting for this type of interaction with a question- and-answer session after the perform ance, but Bluestone plans to go one step further in order to foster his rela tionship with the audience. “For the concert this Friday, I will invite folks to come backstage during the intermission, just to talk with them. Anyone from the audience who wants to come backstage will be able to,” Bluestone said. This Friday’s concert, though, has undergone an unexpected change. It u Even if it's some place where Vm playing for 1,500 or2,000people, Vm going to treat them like they are sitting in their living room. Because thafs what it is to me ...a conversation [with the audience]. — Robert Bluestone classical guitarist was originally scheduled to be a part of Bluestone’s “Woven Harmony” program, in which he and his wife Rebecca, a tapestry artist, would per form together and discuss their respective work. But due to an ill ness, Mrs. Bluestone is unable to per form. In spite of the program alter ation, Anne Black, executive director of OPAS, asked him to perform solo. “The Friday evening perform ance would have been the two of us,” Bluestone said. “Her talking about her work, showing slides; me playing and talking about the pieces that I play.” The combination of classical guitar and tapestry work offers a unique expe rience for the audience, and Bluestone described how it was that the “Woven Harmony” program developed. “We saw that there were similar ities between what we did aestheti cally, and as a result of that we real ized that we could do something where Rebecca would do an exhibi tion and I would do a concert. We both do a residency where we could do things individually and together about what our art forms have in common. When you think about it, weaving is done on a hand-made, tightly strung wooden instrument without nails, and that’s exactly what a description of a guitar is.” The husband/wife and per former/audience interaction allow the Bluestones to create a different type of ambience at their concerts. “We don’t want to do that kind of standard ‘We’re up here on stage and we’re the artists and you people are down there [who] need to pay attention to us because we’re impor tant,’” Bluestone said. “Instead, we want people to see that inside all of us is this great spark of creativity. Inside every single one of us, we have this capacity to be creative, and whether it comes out in playing guitar or in an elegant engineering solution, it’s still coming from the same place. It’s what I consider a divine spark. It’s what that essence of us is. So what we want people to see is that it manifests itself in each of us in its own way. Touching the lives of people in this way is Bluestone’s main objec tive during his performances, and building that all-important sense of community among these people is his way of affecting the lives of others. “Especially now, with evil loose in the world, we have an opportunity with the arts to show that this is one of the most important ways to create community,” Bluestone said. Robert Bluestone will be perform ing at Rudder Theatre Friday, Oct. 19 for MSC OPAS’s “Intimate Gathering” series. s Avenue Texas When calling her “my girlfriend’ just isn’t enough DOUGLAS JEWELERS Serving the Bryan/College Station Area Since 1964 1667 B. South Texas Ave. • Culpepper Plaza • 693-0677 'Up to 12 months, some as cash CNo interest financing Open up to a world of career opportunities... Universal Computer Systems, Inc. is a stable, progressive, corporation headquartered in Houston since 1970, with over 2000 employees nationwide. We specialize in the development, sales and service of the most innovative IT solution for the business of auto dealerships., Current openings in our Houston or College Station offices include: *Sales Consulting Customer Support technical Writing *Programming *Business Acct. Rep We offer a challenging and professional environment, competitive salary and benefits package including paid medical, dental, life and vision insurance, 401 k matching, health club facilities, semi-annual performance based reviews and great training! We require a Bachelor's degree. All majors considered! For more information, please stop by our booth and visit with our representatives. Come join a winning team! EOE UCS Mixer Koldus Building, Rm. 111 October 24, 2001 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. If you are unable to attend but would still like to apply, please visit our website. Universal Computer Systems, Inc. Attn Ad# 1407 I 6700 Hollister or 200 Quality Circle I Houston, TX 77040 College Station, TX 77845 I www.universalcomputersys.com I UCS hires non-tobacco users only GENITAL WARTS STUDY FOR FEMALES Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas is participating in a research study for external genital warts in females. A pharmaceutical company is sponsoring this 3-6 month study. Participation is voluntary. Qualified volunteers may receive related medical services, including: • Study-related medical examinations • Study-related laboratory blood work • Investigational drug For more information and to find out if you qualify, please call: our Bryan clinic at 846-1744. Research participants will be compensated for their time. UCS =5’ 2ty sM 4 Kane, ne D FRANCE <s, ernetl^ l.net . I lend rix! The Classical Version ROBERT BLUESTONE, Guitar Friday, Oct 19 • 7:30 PM Rudder Theatre TICKETS: Call 845-1234 Online at ojpas.tamu.edu TAMU Student Ticket Prices only $10! MSC OPAS T KTSK.™ 2001-2002 Season Media Partners KAMU KBTX : TVpgzj 98.3VK0RA z. ;■****» \ Saturday, October 20, 2001 Green Acres Ranch, Royse City The Gourds Billy Joe Shaver Eleven Hundred Springs Speedtrucker Houston Marchman Slick 52 The Wendel Brothers Band Molly Coddle Tickets only $15 thru startickets.com, Albertson Stores, or i-888-597-star www.ruralmusicfestival.com