I admit that I knew that Baruch had a performing arts center, but never actually had the chance the visit it yet. From the photographs I had seen, I thought that the stage was well-built, and carried a modern sense of design. Regardless, I am glad to say that Sara Davis Buechner has given me the opportunity to explore the most artistic aspects of Baruch, which I might have easily overlooked.
The journey to the performance almost felt as if I was entering some sort of a secret cave, complete with dark lighting, an endless series of spiral staircases, and a mysterious entrance. To be honest, I had not expected that stage to on the smaller side, which gave a nice and intimate atmosphere to the entire performance.
Another aspect of Buechner’s performance was both of her opening and ending remarks. For some reason, I had this image in my head of a serious piano player, who would only play classical and sophisticated pieces in a reserved fashion. However, once Buechner introduced herself to the audience and shared her life story, my admiration for her grew even further, because I found her to be such a delightfully humorous individual, as well as one of warmth. I think that the moment Buechner absolutely won me over was when she began to crack jokes about her music or her time traveling in Japan as a pianist back in the early 2000s.
Although I do enjoy listening to classical music to some extent, I was not entirely sure if I had the stamina to sit through one or two hours of a piano performance. But it was something was Buechner’s expressiveness while performing that began to draw me in, and I soon began to feel the same excitement she felt, as she used music to express herself passionately.
My favorite piece of the night was Buechner’s rendition of George Gershwin’s famous piece, “Rhapsody in Blue”, which was titled “Second Rhapsody”. Although I enjoyed the piece on its own, I truly felt that Buechner’s speech prior to her performance, in which she explained the context of the song, worked to enhance its meaning to me. In listening to that piece, I was then able to visual New York City during the 1930s, when it was slowing becoming its iconic self, during the construction of the Empire State Building. Furthermore, when the piece began to grow faster, I could picture the image of a bustling city, complete with noisy construction and people zooming off to work, just as Buechner had described herself.
In retrospect, I praise Baruch for allowing us the opportunity to not only see a wonderful piano performance but also mean a prolific transgendered artist. I felt that Buechner was brave to share her story, and convey just how far she achieved, both professionally and personally. In honor of LGBT History Month, I feel that it is essential to always remind people not just of past history, but also the history and progression that is still to come.
