Fairbanks, AK

September 1-2, 2017
Population: 31,755
Presenter: Fairbanks Arts Association
Venues: Pioneer Park, Bear Gallery, KUAC Radio

I suppose once we had shared music, we were no longer strangers. 

My two days in Fairbanks were packed: first, a one-hour conversation and performance on “Alaska Live” at KUAC radio (which I didn’t realize was in front of a live audience and I showed up in leggings, flip flops, and flannel. I ran back to the van and chose to change into…leather sandals. Not sure why I didn’t completely change outfits - I must’ve been feeling quite liberated in Alaska). Then, two events presented by Fairbanks Arts Association: a pop-up performance at Bear Gallery for the city-wide First Friday event, when galleries open new exhibitions with wine & cheese receptions, and a Saturday afternoon outdoor concert at Pioneer Park in a gazebo. 

I was pleasantly surprised by how arts-centric Fairbanks is. Some people I had met south of Fairbanks were a little dismissive of Fairbanks (“It’s so ugly!” “There’s nothing there!”) but I was very charmed and wished I could live there. Our hosts, artist Kesler Woodward and flutist Dorli, lived in a stunning, warm, wood-filled house among hills and trails. First Friday was bumping and very popular; Kes kindly took me around to different galleries and I got to see local art in many different, compelling styles. I walked into a distillery downtown and was surprised to be greeted by a very familiar face - the host of my radio performance was the co-owner! Even the local radio host is an artisan. Of libation. 

The gazebo concert was the first outdoor concert of my life, and it was lovely. The mini park tram ran right behind us, and it would regularly add its own ambient noise to my piano playing. Many people were there explicitly for the concert; others had stumbled upon it while strolling in the park. There were families with children, dogs sitting politely, a man who looked like a vagabond or homeless. If only my hands weren’t freezing in the Arctic fall temperatures, I would’ve liked to play all afternoon.

Naturally, given the prominence of the arts in Fairbanks, I met audience members who were musicians or regular classical concert-goers. One man I met, David, introduced himself as a pianist and told me he appreciated my Rachmaninoff. He went on to tell me that he himself had suffered a stroke, couldn’t play piano after, was recently getting back to playing and couldn’t quite move his fingers like he used to, but that we would be welcome to his gig that night. Andrew - my videographer from Fairbanks till the end of tour and my then-boyfriend - and I decided to oblige and get drinks at the restaurant bar where he was playing. He played standards and originals, we chatted in between, and he even invited me to take the stage to play a couple tunes. It was all merry and light, until nearly the end of the night, when he asked if I would please listen to a snippet of a new opera that he had been writing. Of course I did, and I was touched by what I heard - the music sounded so pure, yet inexplicably sad. He then proceeded to tell me that the opera was about a bear who lived alone and didn’t have any friends, and that bear was him. That he was intensely lonely, and he was worried that the opera wouldn’t ever be heard by another person, and how grateful he was that I listened to it. 

As we left the restaurant, I sobbed in Andrew’s arms. It was all too much - David’s physical tragedy, his loneliness, the fact that he chose to share himself and his music with me of all people, a stranger. But was I a stranger? I suppose once we had shared music, we were no longer strangers. 

Bye Jarett…

After 13 days, Jarett’s time on tour was coming to an end and I dropped him off at the Fairbanks airport. Jarett is responsible for the beautiful videos and photos up until this point, and he was such an excellent van sidekick - as an owner of a vintage VW Bus that he refurbished himself, he’s no stranger to road life and problem-solving quickly and calmly as issues arise. He and I were complete strangers prior to tour. We were connected by a mutual videographer friend, Hayden, but even Hayden was almost a stranger to me as well. I met Hayden when I was visiting the Oregon coast and attended a classical concert. I was standing around amongst the octogenarian crowd during intermission, cookies and coffee in hand, when he and his friends approached me with “Hey, you’re young too, what are you doing here?” How could you not like someone who opens with that line? We chatted, and I learned he was a documentary videographer working for clients like National Geographic. This was in November 2016, and I had just that week come up with the idea of touring the country with a piano. At this point, Gather Hear was just one of many wild ideas that I think up, most of which don’t turn into reality. I decided to tell this stranger about the project idea - because I wanted there to be a video component, I suppose - and thus Hayden became my very first supporter. I’m not sure I would have had the courage to pursue Gather Hear if it weren’t for his complete enthusiasm, confidence, and willingness to help. Anyway, I am eternally grateful that Jarett was my sidekick for the launch of Gather Hear, and I will even forgive him for that one time I took a swig from what I thought a plastic bottle of iced tea in the passenger door….and it turned out to be his spit bottle for chewing tobacco. [jarettjuarezphotography.com]