Festival of Fine Arts Events Schedule

Renée Fleming joins local researchers and medical professionals to examine and discuss the effects of music and the arts on the brain and human health. World-renowned soprano Fleming is a leading advocate for the study of the powerful connections between the arts and health. Her anthology, Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness, is now available from Viking/Penguin.

How can someone with Alzheimer’s be unable to recognize their own spouse, but perfectly recall songs from decades before? Why can some patients with Parkinson’s disease, unable to rise from a chair or walk through a doorway, accomplish these tasks or even dance, to the sound of a musical beat? In addition to using music to better understand the complex functioning of the brain, researchers have found arts therapies to be effective tools in addressing the effects of an ever-widening array of conditions, not only Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s, but also cardiac failure, stroke, PTSD, chronic pain, and traumatic brain injuries.

Especially compelling is the fact that music, dance, and art therapies are cost-effective, non-pharmaceutical, and non-invasive. Many can be administered in group settings, offering benefits for emotional well-being, and through tele-health, increasing accessibility. With an aging population, the potential implications of this work are immense. And the impact of arts on the developing brains of children shows effects reaching beyond scholastic aptitude to creativity and success throughout life.
New initiatives are launching rapidly, backed by the National Institutes of Health (the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world) as well as major hospitals, universities, and interdisciplinary institutions.

Location: Anne MacGregor Jenkins Recital Hall

Cost: $50.00

When you think of “spring” a pallet of colors, tastes and sounds comes to mind. The season brings with it endless possibilities to be creative in many ways. We invite you to share our favorite musical meal carefully prepared and waiting just for you.

Location: Branscomb Auditorium

Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff, and Students. General Admission tickets: $5 child/$10 adult.

Honoring our dear planet, tonight’s concert will help us to remember how precious it is. Celebrating the turning of the seasons and the joy of our beloved flora and fauna, join us for a concert of music that is sure to invoke a feeling of home and pride for our place in the solar system. 

Location: Branscomb Memorial Auditorium

Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff, and Students. General Admission tickets: $5 child/$10 adult.