POSTED ON JULY 28, 2020 BY LONG

For this edition of Mid-Week Intermission, we went straight to Sarah Spivey, our on-the-ground expert on everything event-related and our daily dose of fresh air. Quick with a joke, Sarah’s your pal for what’s underground in the visual arts scene so we asked her to share what’s been keeping her creative.

Hello fellow humans!

I’m Sarah Spivey. You’ve probably seen me walking through a lobby or on the H-E-B Terrace during an event at the Long Center. I am fortunate to work alongside an incredible team of Event Coordinators, House Managers, and Volunteers who love the Long Center and work hard to ensure that our guests and clients have a memorable experience.

A major part of my work prior to the pandemic included performance and event support that usually fell outside of regular office hours. Having a predictable schedule was an adjustment, but I am getting used to the new routine while finding and refining ways to root and flourish. Slowing down has been incredibly insightful to my process of moving through each day.

POSTED ON JULY 23, 2020 BY LONG

You probably know Graham Reynolds — chances are, he headlined the last artsy performance you attended before you went into hibernation. Or, perhaps you’re a big fan of Linklater (like Where’d You Go, Bernadette) or explored his original silent & classic film scores (The Lodger is up next). In Austin, you really can’t miss him.

Enter Long Story Short, our series of interviews with Austin’s creative voices from around the neighborhood. This time, we caught up with Graham Reynolds to pick his brain after last month’s super cool listening party for “GRIMM,” his latest album.

(Don’t worry — If you missed it, you can still catch GRIMM here.)

You may have caught the premiere of Grimm Tales in Dell Hall with Ballet Austin last year, but this time Graham went behind the music and composition process to talk about the art of Natalie Frank and the inspiration behind the score. Our Long Center Members got to ask him a few questions, too.

Watch on to hear all about it plus how Graham has been spending his non-performing time — listening to the scores of Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker, Chernobyl), voraciously searching for new artists to support, and of course, composing.

Hello! This is Ronan Melomo with the Education & Outreach department at the Long Center.

While summer programming is on hold for us, we’re working hard to make sure the Long Center’s education programs are stronger than ever to support the students and teachers moving into this school year! I’m excited for the innovative ways people are bringing arts education to students right now.

In efforts to stay sane I’ve turned to teaching myself how to make music, cramming as many free YouTube tutorials I can find on music theory, guitar, and piano, and music editing software. I’ve also been into the traditional summer activities like fishing, swimming, and barbecuing — all in the virtual reality of Animal Crossing New Horizons, of course.

Hello!

I’m Dr. Dave Kaylor, medical director for the emergency department at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Austin. My role directly impacts those who come through our doors seeking emergency care. When I am not providing care to patients in our emergency department, I spend time behind the scenes making improvements to our department’s processes and how we can better deliver care to our patients and their families. We are working to make the experience even better, just like the events you may have experienced here at the Long Center.

Baylor Scott & White Health is proud to be part of the communities it serves and that includes involvement with one of the things Austin is best known for — its entertainment culture. The Long Center, Austin’s Front Row, is one of those places that brings entertainment and joy to so many, including my family. Having served eight years in the Army, we saw numerous cultural locations around the country. Places like the Long Center are a big reason for us to settle in Austin, a place culturally alive and dynamic.

Like many communities in Texas and across the country, our beloved home has been affected by the pandemic, leaving a lasting effect on our physical and mental health. As a physician during this historic time, this has been an eye-opening experience. We’re continuously adapting to the changing environment each day, teaching ourselves about this new disease while overcoming diagnostic and treatment uncertainties, all in real time.

While the virus has had a tremendous impact on millions of people across the country, it’s also changing how we live our daily lives. Whether it’s how we interact with one another, how we shop for necessities like groceries or even seeing a favorite performance, we have to adapt.

I care for patients each day and, as a doctor, it’s what I do best. However, even I need to take a step back and recharge so I can be present for my patients mentally and physically. In our family, venturing outdoors is a part of our identity.

We enjoy exploring the numerous trails that our city offers, like Williamson Creek West Greenbelt. There’s no distance that is too much for us. We’ll trek for hours, which is why we’re grateful for so many nearby locations like McKinney Falls, Inks Lake or even Pedernales State Park. Getting a little rest isn’t reserved for the great outdoors. Sometimes you’ll find me wearing my headphones, listening to endless wandering melodies of jam bands and live concert recordings. The creativity allows me a simple but short escape from my mental wanderings during these times. I find the ability to quiet my thoughts, allowing me to renew my energy and recommit my focus.

These are unprecedented times. As Texans and as a community, we are stronger, and we are all in this together. We can fight back against the virus and it begins with you:

• Social distance — by keeping the number of your new contacts low while keeping a larger physical distance between yourself and others — to lower the chance of transmission.

• You should also wear a mask when you’re outside your home or in public spaces. A mask protects you and everyone around you.

• Finally, wash your hands several times a day. All it takes is 20 seconds of handwashing to reduce the chance of infecting yourself or someone you love.

We are stronger and smarter when we are working toward a common goal. These small personal lifestyle choices will have a much larger impact on the health of our community and bring us one day closer to enjoying the Long Center once again.

POSTED ON JULY 2, 2020 BY LONG

You may be familiar with Conspirare’s Big Sing, but this year the Grammy-winning choral group is taking it to the screens.

The inaugural Big Sing at Home takes place Tuesday night, July 7th at 5:30pm, and you can join straight from your couch for an evening of inspirational, feel-good tunes including spirituals, patriotic anthems (make that July 4th weekend stretch a little further), pop songs, and standards from the Great American Songbook.