You’ll be traveling the galaxy, the world and through time with this season’s Santa Cruz Symphony schedule starting this week with The Planets, the Scheherazade Suite, Amadeus, and Beethoven’s Ninth. These are classics of the classics.
Every year when the season is announced I feel so lucky that we have a major league symphony in a relatively small city of fewer than 62,000 people and a county of 262,000. Do people realize just how lucky we are?
Without the strong support of our community, we’d have to drive over the hill to San Jose or San Francisco to hear such an adventurous program of classical music. Classical music has struggled across the country in part because of the pandemic and arts funding cuts and it’s somewhat miraculous to have such a great program in such a small area.
And ticket prices are not only reasonable, but in some cases a steal. They range from $45 to $130 for most performances, but there are student tickets available for $15 and there are free rehearsals, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed (although for an eye-opening experience, try a rehearsal and then see the actual performance. We did that and it was a great lesson.)
There are also afternoon performances in Watsonville at the Mello Center, which give fans a second chance to catch a favored performance.
Christina Waters’ cover story is a scorecard for seeing the best of the season.
I’ve brought my 9-year-old for the past three years, and I feel like it’s helped him develop his brain and is as important as going to school. The last show featuring movie music is always a hit for kids, but we’ve also moved on to more challenging programs. Although I beg him to learn Grateful Dead tunes on the piano, he’s choosing to learn Beethoven and Mozart, which I’m going to list as one of my greatest accomplishments as a parent.
One lesson I learned…when they are young and gabby, bring them to the rehearsals so you don’t get nasty looks from people who paid the big bucks and want silence.
This week we also celebrate the visual arts, with Christina, again, writing about the 40 years of Open Studios in which great local artists open their homes and workshops to curious art lovers. This generates over $1 million annually in direct sales to artists, local shops, restaurants and hotels—and the timing is perfect for early holiday shopping.
The Ugly Mug is far more than a place to sip coffee—it’s a great hang with an open mic night. Check out Andrew Steingrube’s interview with its longtime owner.
We’re sad to lose another source of local news with the shutdown of TV station KION, which was one of only two stations that covered Santa Cruz. Its former news anchor, Jeanette Bent, was formerly Good Times’ managing editor.
Have a great week and let’s be thankful for local media and local culture. We have so much here.
Thanks for reading.
Brad Kava | Editor
PHOTO CONTEST
DOG GONE SPECIAL This pooch named Rooster is up for adoption at the Santa Cruz SPCA. This photo has won honorable mention from the PX3 (Paris Photography Prize). Photograph by Rebecca Hall.
GOOD IDEA
What began as a grassroots effort to help San Lorenzo Valley families in need has grown into one of the Valley’s most cherished traditions: The Mountain Affair. This year, Community Bridges’ Mountain Community Resources (MCR) will host the 40th Annual Mountain Affair at 6:30–9:30pm on Oct. 24 at Highlands Park Senior & Community Center.
Chef Marina Camarlinghi of Barbara & Company Catering will present an Italian-themed menu crafted with fresh, seasonal ingredients, paired with wines from Alfaro Family Vineyards. Tickets at communitybridges.org.
GOOD WORK
Retired attorney Ben Rice received a lifetime achievement award from the Santa Cruz County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union last week.
Ben worked six years as a public defender, 35 years in criminal defense and served on the County’s Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission for 11 years. He worked countless pro bono hours helping many who could not afford legal assistance.
Ben specialized in medical cannabis and forever impacted the industry when he defended the Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana following their arrest by federal agents in 2002. In 2008, a judge ruled the federal government could not force California to outlaw medical marijuana.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
‘If nine people sit down at a table with one Nazi without protest, there are 10 Nazis at the table.’
—German writer Dr. Jens Foell
