Rasa String Quartet Pulls at the Heart Strings in Notes for Change
Art met advocacy in a November 2nd collaboration between the Cape Symphony and Housing Assistance. Between classical pieces performed by the Rasa String Quartet, five actors spoke about the facts and emotions behind Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) and Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) sentiments.
The event was organized by Richard Chwastiak, Cape Symphony’s Manager of External Affairs, as part of a MASSCreative fellowship. “We want to marry art and advocacy to inspire empathy and really pull at the heart strings,” he said.
The goal was to raise awareness about the housing crisis and provide some guidance about how to respond. The music beautifully conveyed the passions, tensions and hopes associated with the housing crisis. Pieces included William Grant Still’s “Summerland,” Joaquín Turina’s “Prayer of the Bullfighter” and Felix Mendelssohn’s String Quartet Op. 13 No. 2 in A Minor, mvt. 1, Adagio – Allegro vivace.
Chwastiak said the Symphony is well aware of Cape Cod’s housing crisis. Over 90 percent of the Symphony’s performers commute from off-Cape. Chwastiak hopes to replicate the recent performance and bring it to other communities across the Cape to spread awareness and inspire change.
