GiveBIG is in full swing! The performing arts can transform, unite, and create understanding

From Kelly Ragsdale, Managing Director of the Columbia Theatre:

“When I was kid, I had the opportunity to travel with the symphony. There was one experience I will never forget.  One of our host families arranged for a group of us to perform with local musicians for an impromptu concert. Once we arrived to perform, we realized none of us spoke the language and didn’t have an interpreter. We stood with our instruments in the center of town waiting for something. That’s when one of the local musicians gave us a nod, which we understood to be a cue. It was an awkward unsure start, but we blossomed, and it hit me like a brick, music is its own language. Seems obvious to me now, but as a 13-year-old kid, this was a new concept. We didn’t need to speak each other’s language to read music or improvise. Music is universal! That day complete strangers with entirely different backgrounds created a universal tapestry of colors, sound, and movement. It was a profound moment, and one that stays with me to this day. “

Never underestimate the power of performing arts! Join us by supporting Arts Education during GiveBIG, Washington’s statewide giving campaign going on right now until midnight tonight. All gifts are matched by a generous donation from the Donald & Margaret Fuesler Foundation and the Rose Foundation! Find out more HERE.