The ancients believed celestial objects emitted a distinct tone as they tripped through the cosmos. This ‘Harmony of the Spheres? theory held that the quality of life on Earth was a byproduct of the heavenly hum.
Pythagoras and his band may have intended it literally, but we still consider art to be a barometer of social health.
The objective of this column is to notate the important relationship between creativity and community health
In the six weeks since I’ve come to Lake Orion, I’ve witnessed many signs indicating creativity is flowing. I’ve seen a throng assemble to hear virtuoso Leszek Bartkiewicz conduct them on a trek through musical history.
From a stately and staccato Scarlatti sonata to the fraught modern frenzy of Bartok, Bartkiewicz escorted listeners across time and tradition. By ministering to wide emotional possibilities, Bartkiewicz proved a skillful healer, sending us forth re-invigorated from St. Joseph’s comforting and anachronistic cathedral.
Bartkiewicz’s psychic playground helped us purge unpleasant impulses, and you can see similar signs of artistic alchemy in Orion Twp.
For example, Max Gomez and his gang are often heard in the heart of the Village most days after school. Gomez, an eighth grader in middle school, brings a violin and an open heart to the corner of Flint and Broadway. With no other motivation than a desire to play for his neighbors, the burgeoning busker evinces a bubbling stream of creativity coursing through the Orion community.
This stream trails throughout the township, as local pros Joseph Tackett, the Paint Creek Boys, and Joe Gisoli can attest.
These artists will strike the soundtrack for your supper experience, while local comedians will try to tickle your funny bone at the District Venue every second Saturday.
At times a trickle, at others a cascading crescendo, the beat of Orion goes on.
From the expert instruction available from the Orion Art Center, to the nightly music on tap at nightspots across the area, Lake Orion has a wealth of talent and creative outlets.
With your help, I’ll chart Orion’s beat across the township.
Let me know what creative stars you’ve heard of, and I’ll report back the harmony in our Lake Orion sphere.