Another week, another blog post!
I’m writing this post from my desk in L entryway of Eliot House, with all three of my windows wide open, letting the breeze from this beautiful day float through their screens. Things, including the temperature, are looking up here in Cambridge – the thermometer actually registered a high of 65 degrees today and I, along with my fellow Harvard Square residents, broke out my flip flops and sunglasses to soak up the rare, and much awaited rays of Vitamin D.
It was the perfect time for great weather because this weekend was Arts First! Arts First is a festival that takes place each year at Harvard. It showcases and celebrates the best of student art here on campus including theater, dance, film, music, visual arts, and so much more. In fact, with over 225 presentations, Arts First happens to be “one of the nation’s largest university arts festivals.” With over 225 presentations available, you can only imagine how busy Harvard was this weekend. Stuff was going on everywhere, from the yard to Queen’s Head Pub and beyond.
There are just a few highlights of my Arts First experience that I’d like to share with you guys. Friday night I stopped by the Leverett House annual Coffeehouse. In the old library of Leverett’s C entryway, several Leverett residents displayed their talents – singing, piano, guitar, and even spoken word. Chief, the Leverett House Master, regaled the crowd with his rendition of “My Get Up and Go Has Got Up and Went.”
Leverett House Coffeehouse included live music from student performers.
On Saturday I went to see my friend Charlene’s band “Blue Print” perform at the Queen’s Head Pub. Blue Print is the rock n’ roll subgroup of Charlene’s a cappella group “Under Construction.” I’ve watched Under Construction perform, and so I was excited to hear Charlene play for Blue Print. No surprise – they were awesome! Charlene rocked the house on the piano, while her bandmates sang and played guitar and the drums.
Charlene’s (hidden behind the piano) Band: Blue Print was awesome!
To round out my Arts First weekend, I stopped by a display put on by the Harvard Capoeira. What is Capoeira, you might ask? Don’t worry, I didn’t know what it was until this weekend either. Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that “combines Afro-Brazilian dance with martial arts and acrobatics.” They performed in Harvard Yard on Saturday, and as I was walking by I decided to check out their performance. They were great, and impressed me, along with other members of the audience, with their flips, spins, tumbles, and acrobatics, all improvised and done in time with their background music.
Ever heard of Capoeira? I have!
That’s all for now, time to get started on another week. It’s supposed to be like, seventy degrees tomorrow – sun dress anyone ???!!!
Caroline