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Lara Downes
NBC
News calls pianist Lara Downes "a musical ray of hope." For the first
time since quarantine, the charismatic, iconoclastic artist will pioneer
a new, socially-distanced live outdoor concert format in
Sacramento. The performances will take place July 10 in the outdoor
courtyard of the mixed-use Warehouse Artist Lofts,
a low-income artists collective. Residents will be able to watch the
concert for free from their windows overlooking the stage.
The
concert will be presented in 3 short sets with arranged seating 10 feet
apart, and an audience limited to 30 guests and 20% capacity per
set. Masks will be mandatory; seats will be assigned and sanitized.
There will be a temperature scan as audience members enter the outdoor
performance space.
This
socially-distanced event is the first live classical concert in the
region since quarantine, and was spearheaded directly by Lara herself in
an effort to revitalize the music scene in California’s Capitol by
offering this return to live performance as the region reopens, with
meticulous social distance safety protocols in place. (She has been
giving concerts from her open front window for small socially-distanced
groups of neighbors throughout quarantine.) In her own words: “As
our communities reopen, I see an important role for artists to
contribute to our moment in history, to create gathering spaces that
offer the essential emotional connection of live music, while
reimagining and reinventing the physicality of those spaces to ensure
social distance and public safety.”
The
event is a benefit to support the ACLU in the fight for civil rights
and social justice during this critical moment in history.
Lara will share music from her newest album "Some Of These Days," a musical reflection on social justice, progress and equality that was recently featured as Top Album at NPR Music and shared via Lara's stunning NPR Tiny Desk Concert (from home).
Lara will perform three 40-minute sets, at 7, 8 and 9pm.
The event is sponsored by Yamaha Artist Services.
In addition to this concert, Lara just announced her response to the current civil rights crisis. My Promise Project
is a virtual creative campus for American youth, offering free
workshops for American youth (age 12-18) to connect with their peers
nationwide and create art that calls for change, progress and social
justice. In partnership with Grammy Music Education Coalition and the
Sphinx Organization, Lara will hold these free workshops on Zoom
beginning Monday, July 6 at 3PM Eastern Time and continuing weekly
through August. Students’ work will be shared via weekly Facebook Live
showcases hosted by Lara. Registration: http://www.laradownes.com/my-promise-project
Using
freedom songs such as “We Shall Overcome” and “Keep Your Eyes On The
Prize” as creative prompts, Lara asks students to reflect and respond on
their capacity to find strength in their individual and collective
potential for change. Participants will create work in any
performing/visual art medium they choose, producing a national anthology
of youth voices envisioning futures built on awareness, intention, and
action.
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