Manzanita Music Collective

Friendships gained trough challenging times take on everlasting importance in our hearts. I love sharing this film that captures a friendship between my dear friend violinist, Edwin Huizinga and myself that was born in the Summer of 2020. Together we created a small porch concert series in Carmel by the Sea. We called ourselves The Manzanita Music Collective. We welcomed what became our family of supporters that gathered weekly, masked and distanced with open hearts ready to receive whatever we could create that could be played by the violin and cello. Though Edwin is on to his next chapter of teaching at Oberlin Conservatory he will return often to SandBox and we will always seek ways of playing together. In the meantime, I can't wait to share our Back 2 Bach program on Thursday, Dec. 15th! Violist Liz Prior will be joining us for a reading of the glorious Goldberg Variation by J.S. Bach. arranged fro string trio. The great cellist Pablo Casals started each day playing the music of Bach's both on the keyboard and on the cello. In his words:

"The music is never the same for me, never. Each day is something new, fantastic, unbelievable. That is Bach, like nature, a miracle!”

An Inspired Reading

This enchanted moment was captured at the Miller Library this past August. The majestic Redwoods of Big Sur seemed to protect and cradle us as we witnessed a reading of the poetry of Hafiz by the legendary Penny Vieragge Violinist, Edwin Huizinga, no stranger to Big Sur or to SandBox, responded to ever nuance and inflection of Penny's inspired and spontaneous reading. Creating a blanket of sound that hovered in the air as if a mystical veil were placed above it all was Deva Munay playing her alchemy crystal singing bowls. I look forward to this experience being created in SandBox on Dec. 13th in celebration of Penny's 95th year.

Unforgettable LAGQ performance

The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet graced us with a spectacular performance the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 20th. There was not an empty seat to be found. These legends who defined the genre took our breath away and left us speechless. Thank you to Mark Mancina for making their visit here possible. It was a celebration of community, pushing the reset button for all who were present. Together we were witness to and contributed to a moment of history. The uncanny acoustics of SandBox allowed us to feel and hear even the most subtle nuances in the ensembles collaboration. The audience could partake in every punctuation, sigh, gesture, the ways in which they seemed to finish each others sentences, as only a long term relationship can achieve. Thank you Scott Tennant, Bill Kanengiser, John Dearman and Matt Greif for the gift of sharing your years of experience with us. And to the many new audience members that joined us at SandBox, it was great to see you and we look forward to welcoming you back soon.