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An Essay
by Oakland East Bay Symphony conductor Michael Morgan
Oakland is an arts community. When I came to Oakland eight years ago, I had no idea what a variety of passionate, dedicated and talented artists I would meet. There are musicians from every tradition. We have visual artists who celebrate every imaginable culture. Our actors probe every emotion from every point of view in dozens of languages. And we treat our artists like heroes. That's why some of us don't ever want to leave. Last week I was visiting Oakland High School. I spoke to an assembly there which began with students greeting me in about seven languages. The students were bright, funny and very enthusiastic about their lives. The event was organized by the school librarian and one of the students played the piano for us. The school is already the home of a Visual Arts Academy but the thing that really interested the students was the possibility that there might someday be instrumental and vocal music in their school. This is how Oakland raises its children. These were public high school students from a variety of races working together, and all with an appreciation of arts and each other. It is the soul of our city that the new Mayor needs to understand. From our excellent ballet, to the independent film makers who live and work around us, to the individual artists working in their studios - these are the things Oakland should be known for. And if we all get together and start celebrating the many, many creative people among us, it won't be long before the rest of the world realizes that we are the luckiest people on earth. Because we live in Oakland and Oakland is a community of artists -- world-class artists in a world-class city.
Michael Morgan is the Conductor and Music Director of the Oakland East Bay Symphony.
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