I play the piano. I loved taking lessons and started when I was a little kid. I remember something and someplace that made a big impression on me. Our parents took us on a camping trip as they did every summer. This particular summer we went to Michigan and my Mom had researched Interlochen Center for the Arts, which is a famous, world class performing arts school near Traverse City, Michigan. Mom always found free stuff we could do on trips and we visited The Interlochen Arts School which is also a prestigious music camp in the summer. I distinctly remember going to one of the free recitals that were held daily at the school. We sat in a beautiful and intimate performance hall, and a young woman, probably around 16-17, entered the stage and played Brahms Second Intermezzo, Op.118. I saved the program. I was mesmerized at the beauty of the piece and how well she played. That room at that time was a magical moment for me I was determined to play this piece someday. Fast forward about 8 years when I got to college and majored in music, my piano professor asked me if there was a piece I wanted to learn that semester and I said there was. I wanted to learn Brahms Second Intermezzo. And I did.
When I first went to college at the University of WI-Whitewater, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I chose the school because it was a WI state school that was the farthest away from the small town my family had moved to right before I started high school, and was only 90 miles from Chicago. I figured I could hitchhike there or something like that. I made friends with some students from Chicago and went to their homes a few times. Besides a bunch of uninteresting courses at Whitewater, I was also taking a ceramics class with this stoned out professor and really got into making things. I made my version of the Uptown Theater in Chicago where I had seen concerts. Although closed, it’s the most amazing venue. Anyway, on one Chicago trip a few of my friends and I went to a gallery opening in River North. Ironically that’s where I show now. At the time River north was full of galleries and was the hotbed of gallery showings in Chicago. At the opening they had wine, and I remember going out on a fire escape off the gallery and drinking wine and thinking this is so cool that people are showing their art and people are actually looking at it! I had been to the Art Institute of Chicago as a kid, but never to a loft space gallery. Soon after that I transferred to the University of MN and started taking art classes. That moment of going to that gallery and the electricity has stuck with me all my life. I still get really excited when I go to openings and especially have the chance to share my work.
I play the piano. I loved taking lessons and started when I was a little kid. I remember something and someplace that made a big impression on me. Our parents took us on a camping trip as they did every summer. This particular summer we went to Michigan and my Mom had researched Interlochen Center for the Arts, which is a famous, world class performing arts school near Traverse City, Michigan. Mom always found free stuff we could do on trips and we visited The Interlochen Arts School which is also a prestigious music camp in the summer. I distinctly remember going to one of the free recitals that were held daily at the school. We sat in a beautiful and intimate performance hall, and a young woman, probably around 16-17, entered the stage and played Brahms Second Intermezzo, Op.118. I saved the program. I was mesmerized at the beauty of the piece and how well she played. That room at that time was a magical moment for me I was determined to play this piece someday. Fast forward about 8 years when I got to college and majored in music, my piano professor asked me if there was a piece I wanted to learn that semester and I said there was. I wanted to learn Brahms Second Intermezzo. And I did.
When I first went to college at the University of WI-Whitewater, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I chose the school because it was a WI state school that was the farthest away from the small town my family had moved to right before I started high school, and was only 90 miles from Chicago. I figured I could hitchhike there or something like that. I made friends with some students from Chicago and went to their homes a few times. Besides a bunch of uninteresting courses at Whitewater, I was also taking a ceramics class with this stoned out professor and really got into making things. I made my version of the Uptown Theater in Chicago where I had seen concerts. Although closed, it’s the most amazing venue. Anyway, on one Chicago trip a few of my friends and I went to a gallery opening in River North. Ironically that’s where I show now. At the time River north was full of galleries and was the hotbed of gallery showings in Chicago. At the opening they had wine, and I remember going out on a fire escape off the gallery and drinking wine and thinking this is so cool that people are showing their art and people are actually looking at it! I had been to the Art Institute of Chicago as a kid, but never to a loft space gallery. Soon after that I transferred to the University of MN and started taking art classes. That moment of going to that gallery and the electricity has stuck with me all my life. I still get really excited when I go to openings and especially have the chance to share my work.
That’s really cool, Lisa! It’s wonderful to have great influences.