As a professional music educator, conductor, composer and theatre director I have spent my career as an advocate for the power of the performing arts to enrich and transform lives. As a long time resident of the Gorge, I have both witnessed and helped facilitate the area’s growth as a haven and creative hub for musicians, actors and artists of all types.

I helped found the Performing Arts Initiative because of a passionate belief that local and visiting performing artists need a home, a safe and welcoming space that provides access and infrastructure to promote performances that are unencumbered by technical limitations. Just as important, our local audiences need an inviting, comfortable, affordable and accessible “living room” in which to share community events, the inspiration of great performances, and the excitement and pride in what will certainly be a regional beacon of design, function and architectural beauty.

Those without an experience of great music, dance, or theatre will always argue that there are pressing concerns and problems that need to be addressed before we can consider supporting the arts. I contend that the opposite is true: there are few better ways of demonstrating equity, the power of inclusion, and the universal truths of human nature that have no racial or cultural barriers than through song, dance and the spoken word. Supporting the PAI is one small, but important, step in making our community not just more accessible and rewarding to performers but giving our community more access to the educational, transformative, entertaining, emotionally compelling and healing power of the arts.