On Wednesday night, the President’s Own United States Marine Band produced a colorful and patriotic performance underscored by brass notes punctuating rapidly paced reeds and roaring percussion to pieces arranged by some of the nation’s most well known composers. The audience, housed in the Frank “Buck” Shaffer Theatre was pleased, evidenced by their hearty applause and standing ovations throughout.

via Marine Band plays patriotic pieces | plays, band, president – Local News – Recorderonline.com.

OK, the crowd was not really whipped into a frenzy.They were generally mystified that outsiders had stumbled into Porterville to entertain them, but politely pleased that they did.

The performance was enjoyable, akin to a Pops Concert almost. In Porterville, any outside performance is a big deal, and this one was well done.

We were a little nervous arriving – the tickets made plain that everyone needed to be seated by 7:15 even though the show was not until 7:30. Thoughts of the fate of a certain Georgian theater crowd at the hand of the Russians crept through my mind. And, well, we saw “Inglorious Basterds” too ….

In the end there was no violence or no explanation for why the public had to follow marching orders from the Marines. At least there was no speechifying either, all joking aside, that is what I thought those 15 minutes would be used for. At least 3 City Council members were present, but they simply enjoyed the show as everyone else did.

Overall, I’d say the age of the attendees was skewed towards the Korean War and Vietnam War veteran era.

I was really only joking to myself when I thought, during the opening rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner”, that some of the attendees may very well have been fighting in the War of 1812. They were old, but not that old.

And, since our National Anthem was written in my home town of Baltimore, I feel a special pride when I hear it. I also, having attended hundreds and hundreds of baseball games, found it extremely difficult to repress the Pavlovian need to shout “O” during the final verse of “Oh say can you see”. I stifled it OK, but I lost sleep as a result of the internal effort.

That was interesting because it has been decades since those days. And it was almost as interesting that I similarly expected the band to break out of its formal posturing during the intermission and break out into a rousing “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”. Ironically, of the hundreds of times I have heard that song sung along to by a crowd, it has never been a crowd of “Country Boys” as it was last night.

One of the most enthusiastic  standing ovations mentioned in the article above (they weren’t really “throughout” but at scripted predictable places) occurred as Bennear emotive sang the lines “Let Freedom Ring” from “My Country Tis of Thee”.

My thought at the time was how ironic that probably 80% of the standing audience voted less than one year ago to remove *existing rights* from a minority of people under the schoolyard guise of “majority rules!!! nyah nyah nyah!!!”.

Most of the other 20% was the high school students that reporter Chandler mentioned above by the way, too young to have voted lat year, but who will be the votes that restore the rights to their, well, rightful place soon enough.

Also curious: The program, provided by the Band, says that they perform 500 times a year outside of Washington on tour of the US. That struck me at odds with Bennear’s well rehearsed comments that we all learned the patriotic tunes in the ending medley during grade school.

I did learn them, at a time in the late 60s when I have since learned there were riots in the city across the river that was at the bottom of our hilly block.

But I am out in the real world and I know that the demographics of America are such that in our lifetime we have had a huge influx of immigration from around the world, and not all citizens or even visitors who might attend a performance of this historic band somewhere in America learned patriotic songs as a kid.

I found that comment rude and insensitive and  so did my girlfriend who is not originally an American Citizen and so did not receive her earliest schoolgirl indoctrination in American schools.

I was personally disappointed that the last piece was “God Bless America” for two reasons. One, of course is that there was the triple-whammy of both Federal and Local governments stretching the First Amendment’s Establishment clause.: A Federal Band singing about God and America? In a public school funded by the state and local citizens?

No public event in Porterville is complete without the First Amendment Establishment Clause being stretched to its limits of course, but I am sure the crowd would have been just as thrilled and roused by a tune written by Woody Guthrie, musical hero of the Dust Bowl Refugees (hello all you 70+ year olds-in the audience, might that be you or your family?).

“This Land is Your Land”, which I have written about before, is  the tune he wrote in response to “God Bless America”‘s religious pleas and jingoistic overtones. The lyrics,  are  more inclusive and equally grand and well known “This Land is Your Land”. That song  would have been a far better choice to send the crowd out with. It is a truly beautiful song, maybe the most beautiful of all patriotic tunes.

And I am not saying the Band itself was lily-white – I recall noticing an Asian guy on a woodwind instrument, but other than that, it sure didn’t look like the face of any part of America I have ever seen. This band has been playing since 1798 – yes that is not a typo – and this is the best they can do equality wise?

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The Plantation Teakwood Gallery strives to promote culture and art in Visalia’s beautiful downtown district. You are invited to an evening surrounded by beautiful and eclectic artwork, live guitar music, yummy hors d’ourves, and numerous local poets reading their original works and a wine/soda bar provided by the Sequoia Riverlands Trust.

The Plantation sells hand-carved teakwood furniture which is grown on replenishable plantations in Indonesia. If you are looking for unique and unusual furniture visit the store located at 320 W. Main St. in Visalia at the corner of Main & Floral Avenues.

The gallery features 20 California artists, Fresno, Squaw Valley, Visalia, and the Coastal Towns are all represented at the Plantation. At first glance in the large front window passersby are greeted by 3 six-foot metal figures called “Sisters” by Paul Montoya, better known as Polo. Polo also works in alabaster and has sculpted an alabaster P.O.W. who graces the carved desk top upon which he crouches.

Impressionist painter Betty Berk is on display with her collection of works in oils and acrylics. Thai artist Rattanonk Moerdyk has her collection of masks, watercolors, and other fantastic works in mixed media. Anne Fraker of Fresno has her beautiful “Elaine” among others. Gail Dalley displays “Pepper Love”, “Gypsy Troupe” and “Emerald Cat” .

You will see David Castro’s “Downbeats”, Sally Hobbs’ watercolor, “Sierra Waterfall”, and Debra Montgomery’s metal work and repousse works, Finally, James Stark also has several of his pastels on display for your pleasure and your infusion of beauty and culture that is nourished by The Plantation Teakwood Gallery, Fine Arts & Textiles .

If you are a poet or artist looking to read or display, please contact Cynthia @ 559-308-1333 or 559-734-4084. Cynthia and Tom Simonian are planning to make “An Evening of Art & Poetry Reading a regular event for Visalia’s downtown.

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Its almost time for Passover and just to get in the right frame of mind, Rabbi Weinberg will be with us at Congregation Beit Shalom for a Kabbalat Shabbat dinner and a special program on
preparing ourselves to experience the Journey to Freedom.

Please RSVP as soon as possible for both the dinner this Friday, March 27th and
for the Passover Seder on Saturday, April 11th. Update: Both events begin at 6PM.

Your help is needed and wanted.  Please volunteer for preparations – - this is where the journey begins!

The Synagogue is located at 115 East Paseo Avenue in Visalia, the phone number is 559-308-1333 for RSVP.

Shalom,
Cynthia Fischer Simonian

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Suggested Donation $7.00, Gates open 6:30PM

Great Food, Silent Auction, Amazing Presentation, and Fantastic Fun for all Ages.

No less an expert then John Muir said the Tulare County section of the Sierra Mountains was among his very favorites, ranking favorably with Yosemite itself. These areas are now known as Sequoia National Forest, Sequoia National Park, and Sequoia National Monument. By far, most of this land is the same as it was when Muir walked through, lived there, and wrote about it.

I have been working with the wonderful non-profit group Wildplaces in Springville which combines river stewardship in the Tulare County mountainous  areas above Porterville with learning opportunities for local children and young adults who might otherwise not have the chance to learn about the spectacular places that are so nearby.

On March 28, WildPlaces holds a major fundraising event you will want to attend, called “Wild Appreciation Night 2009″ and they asked me to invite everyone. Music will be provided by Thrift Store All Stars, with Special Guest Coyote Slim. Belly-dancers Eastern Sun Dance Company of nearby Visalia will be entertaining the crowd too.

The concert will be at River Ridge Ranch in Springville, just a couple of miles off 190 by the Big White Barn, at 37794 Balch Park Road. Information about the ranch, and directions can be found at www.river-ridge.net or by emailing info@river-ridge.net.

For information about the concert or WildPlaces, contact WildPlaces at 559-539-5263 or visit www.wildplaces.net

I know you will have a great time and your help will go a long way towards assisting WildPlaces do their important work!

Full color poster view after the jump.(...)
Hit the link for more: This Saturday: Wild Appreciation Concert in Springville

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An Art and Poetry Slam will be held to benefit Sequoia Riverlands Trust and Kaweah Oaks Preserve at The Plantation.

The event will be held on Wednesday, April 1 from 6 to 9PM at 320 W. Main Street in Visalia. Admission is $5.00 per person.

Call The Plantation by Mrch 27th to register as a performer. Wine, snacks, and refreshments will be available.

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Post tags: kaweah oaks preserve, poetry slam, sequoia riverlands trust, the plantation