When I was living in New York, the arrival of spring meant puffy eyes, air conditioning instead of windows down, running away from grass and trees, an itchy palate, pollen everywhere you looked, and the beginning of the countdown to the end of the school year. Since we’ve moved to San Diego, the arrival of spring has a more varied meaning. Sure, there are still some of those allergy symptoms and no longer the countdown till the end of school, but the start of the season seems to have a broader meaning now.

Indie video game designers discussing their craft. Hundreds of guitars strung together to form a sort of musical tornado emerging from the floor. High school art from a singer who helped create the grunge movement.

While I expected Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture, or MoPOP, would offer plenty of culture-defining finds, I was still surprised by the variety and thoughtfulness behind the exhibits.

Chicago is known for its world-class museums and attractions. During a first visit, most people will seek out the attractions nearest their downtown accommodations. Repeat visitors and those staying farther north can add a few places on Chicago’s North Shore to their itinerary.

Making sense of the shifts and changes in the world has always been one of the roles of music. This might by songs which teach; it could be through songs which offer escape. Maybe there a tune which gets people dancing together; perhaps there's an uplifting song which opens doors to community, perhaps it is a piece that expresses grief, or joy, or understanding which can be shared as the music is performed and heard. Events change, but the role of music continues on. 

Last summer, my students and I read The Hobbit together. It had been 30 years since I’d read it. I have to admit, I reveled in the classic story, long buried in my brain under years of reading. As you know, it is a classic tale of a quest; a long, life-changing journey. The travelers have to battle (and avoid) various creatures, traverse extraordinarily vast plains, wend their way through mountain paths, and pursue their quest across Middle Earth.

Remember when you were between the ages of 14 and 18? That age bracket isn’t easy for any of us– growth, learning, changes, mood swings, and figuring things out take place–and that’s without adding any extra and guaranteed teenage angst or life obstacles. I taught high school for well over a decade. Those are the humans I know; those are the humans I understand. Perhaps, as adults, we don’t all sit around and reminisce or remember about life in high school or those early teenage years.

We first met our Artist of the Month, Jessalyn Kline, at the 2018 Kalamazoo Institute of Arts High School Art Show. She had a gorgeous embroidered piece of art, full of meaning, color, and beauty. Of course, I asked her to share it with our snsvs. You, too, will be amazed at her range of creativity, her eye for detail, and her passion for creating. Without further ado, the art and words of Jessalyn Kline...

“Do you have any questions about the menu?” asks Mario Kanaan, leaning slightly over the front of his Cedars Lebanese Kitchen food truck in Aloha, Oregon, a suburb of food truck central, Portland, “If you haven’t had the arnabeet, I definitely recommend it.”

Arnabeet

We first met our Photographer of the Month, Dare'l McMillian, at a Western Michigan University press event for Phantom of the Opera.

Music for shifting times: that is what we've called this series. Part of the idea behind the music shared with you in the series is to guide you to music which may help you think about or live through the unexpected, disconcerting, strange -- choose your own more emphatic adjective if you like -- situations facing the world.