Art & Music, A Community Benefit – Springfield, MO

Two local artists, a composer (Vincent Nolden www.spirecomposing.com) and an abstract BOMH painter (Meike Aton www.MeikeAton.com) presented an interactive arts performance and art auction at the Creamery Arts Center City of Springfield Creamery Arts Center on Saturday August 12, 2017.

The program was designed for the audience to learn about their symbiotic relationship with Music and the Visual Arts.  A large portion of the proceeds benefited “Jobs for Life” and “Life Change” programs. Two local charities with Schweitzer United Methodist Church, providing jobs skills training for homeless and unemployed individuals. (Recently 5 attendees graduated from homelessness to self sufficiency).

 

Vincent gave a brief summery of his composition, before inviting the audience to close their eyes to pay attention to the visual images forming, while listening to the musical presentation. Meike painted to the music on stage. After the first musical movement Meike took a brief survey of the possible images  “seen” by the audience before revealing her painting.

Further musical presentations followed, while the audience watched the painting develop in front of their eyes. The painting was auctioned off at the end of the program.

 

This is what Vincent says about his compositions:

The pieces featured in the performance are a series of solo, duet and trio pieces arranged for the cello, piano and clarinet. My thoughts upon beginning this series of works was to create a piece suitable for the study of particular techniques on each instrument but as my creative process moved forward my goal changed. There are many strictures and formalities to be observed in classical literature which help characterize the style, but I wished to integrate classical techniques and progressions with a more modern and free style of arranging the pieces. This has led me to create several pieces which sound familiar while still surprising the listener with unorthodox ordering and musicianship.