A quiet Friday morning on Biola’s campus in September was interrupted by the tinkling of a toy piano. As the unusual sound drew a crowd, Jonah Gallagher, a junior music composition major, performed in honor of American composer John Cage’s birthday as part of Biola's Random Acts of Culture (RAOC) program.

“The theme for the year was sacred spaces,” said Elizabeth Larson, Biola professor and violin and chamber music coordinator, who initiated the program in 2012. “During the year of the arts, I came up with the idea: ‘Why not be able to transform spaces into sacred spaces through the arts — through music.’”

This fall the Conservatory of Music partnered with the Center for Christianity, Culture and the Arts, introducing a new aspect of music to the program.

“The goal of the Random Acts of Culture is two-fold, to bless the Biola community through music and arts and to give students an opportunity to perform what they spend so many hours practicing through the conservatory,” said Larson.

A new form of RAOC launched in September in honor of John Cage, who was a 20th century composer known for his unconventional and experimental pieces. Students could expect some off-the-wall contemporary pieces in his honor, according to Larson.

A group of orchestra students performing by Fluor Fountain. 

“[John Cage] wrote pieces based on crumpling paper and that’s literally the piece, crumpling paper,” said student coordinator for RAOC and senior student Darlene Favenir, who is studying music education and piano performance. “He composed things for prepared piano, he would stick bolts in an actual piano and it would have very percussive effects. He also had a philosophy of what music is, it’s more than just pretty sound, but also just the sounds around you.”

Opportunities for students to serve the community with their talents increase as the program continues to expand.

“We have launched the visual arts component of RAOC, which is fantastic. You will be seeing art exhibits as part of Random Acts, and they may be in conjunction with musical events or they may be on their own,” Larson said.

Public Arts Curator Jeff Rau said he is excited at the possibilities that could come from the conservatory and the art department merging.

“It [the partnership] is a clear opportunity ... for us to work together to help promote what both departments are doing,” Rau said. “This program will give artists from this community an opportunity to engage in the community and showcase their work in a more public setting.”

Favenir said she is looking forward to this year’s many events.

“You have your whole routine planned out, your whole soundtrack to your life is already planned out … [Random Acts of Culture] changes up your usual routine, and changes your perspective,” Favenir said. “Performances don’t always have to be on a stage and predetermined. Any place can be transformed into a sacred space for worship.”

 

Written by Grace Hansen. For more information, contact Jenna Bartlo, Media Relations Specialist, at jenna.l.bartlo@biola.edu or 562.777.4061.