THE "CIVILIZED EVENING"

MOVEMENT

What do we mean by "A Civilized Evening,"

and why might you like to host or attend one?

One of our favorite things to do (and to encourage our friends to do!) is to host guests at our home for a "Civilized Evening."  (We're often asked to host "Civilized Evenings" at other people's homes, and in many other settings, too, such as churches, schools, and retirement communities.)  Of all the places we've played music, from performing before large audiences at regional musicfests, to "sitting in" at Disneyland's "ragtime piano," to being the soloist with a major symphony orchestra, a "Civilized Evening" is by *far* our favorite!  Here's why:
 
At a recent "Civilized Evening" at our home, the youngest daughter of one of our guests, an eleven-month-old, just got *wide*-eyed every time music was played, whether the music was cello, piano, or both.  So, while Chris played Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G Minor (which is really *gorgeous*, by the way!), our Dad held their daughter so she could sit on the rim of our 7'9" concert grand piano (a Petrof).  She was barefoot, and her feet rested on the piano's sound board (for those that don't know, that's the part of the piano which vibrates, sending sound waves out into the room ... put your hand on one some time, if someone will let you do it while they play ... the feeling is *amazing*).  Well, this little girl's eyes stayed *huge* during the entire playing of the piece (which is about ten minutes long), and she hardly *breathed* during the playing!  Afterwards, her Mom (who is also a pianist) held her on her lap, and this wonderful young child "played" the piano for about the next 30 minutes.  While she played, some of us watched her ... it was fascinating to see the extent of her engagement with the instrument ... and some of us spent some time talking with one another!  Pretty soon, the same family's *other* daughter, age 13, joined Chris in the kitchen and helped prepare crepes Florentine for everyone to eat. 
 
We make sure to take the time to allow all our guests to get to know one another. In particular, we ask everyone to share a bit about the "beautiful music" in *their* lives ... whether or not it involves such things as instruments!  We want to know, and we want our guests to know, about the many beautiful things which our guests have created in their lives, or perhaps are creating now.  (This allows our guests to ask questions, *learn* lots of wonderful things, and to have wonderful things to discuss with one another as the evening proceeds.)
 
We always try to make a point of inviting guests who represent a very large age range (from newborns and toddlers to our community's elders) because we feel *very* strongly that the "age segregation" which tends to permeate our culture is ... well, stupid and horrible ... there's *so* much to be gained when members of different generations participate with one another, and it's *interesting*, too!  We're also very committed to entire *families* attending, when they can.  We enjoy asking our guests to bring along a friend or two, someone who they think has "beautiful music" in their life, and is interested in the "beautiful music" in *other* people's lives.  When possible, we ask some of our local music teachers to attend, and to bring with them a student or two who they feel would enjoy, and benefit from, a "Civilized Evening."  (We very strongly encourage the *families* of these students to attend, also, including younger siblings!)  We *always* ask if any of our guests play piano (or other instruments, which they sometimes bring!) and, if they *do* play, we ask them to show us what they're working on lately.  There isn't any "pressure" in these requests ... the idea is simply to share music with one another, and to encourage each other to keep working, and to keep getting better!  The format is specifically *not* like a "recital" (we think the "recital" format tends to be dreadful!) ... instead, at a "Civilized Evening," guests can stand (or sit) around the piano and listen, if they like, or they can talk with one another, or have a bite to eat.  We *do* ask the *adults* present, though, to spend some time encouraging the children who are present, whether with regard to the music they're working on or the *other* "beautiful music" which is emerging as a part of their young lives!  (We *love* it when the youngsters who are among our guests come back to a *next* "Civilized Evening" and share their progress with us ... we hope we'll be able to see their progress during the course of each year, and over *many* years!  We hope to encourage a *lot* of *children* this way, by being able to not just play music for them, at a distance, but by talking with them and, where possible, listening to and encouraging *their* music, too ... including when their "music" is nothing to do with an instrument, but perhaps math or cooking, or whatever else they might be called toward!)

Classical Music is always well-represented at our "Civilized Evenings," so that its profound beauty and role model can contribute to everyone present!  We (Johnny and Chris) select two or three gorgeous pieces, and perform them during the course of the evening.  Often, one or two of our musician-friends come to an evening and, as "guest artists," offer the gift of some of *their* favorite Classical Music.  (Among other things, this is a lovely way for some of our *younger* guests to "meet" additional instruments!)  Our guests often comment that they've never been so *close* to instruments while they're being played, and that they *love* being able, for example, to experience how music (the physical vibration!) *feels* when a person is so *close* to it, and to watch what the musicians *hands* do ... children seem to be particularly enthralled by fingers flying over the piano's keyboard!  It's amazing, and a great pleasure, to see how *involved* our guests become with the music, and with the musicians!  (It's pretty easy *not* to be involved when a person is in a big hall, and distant from the music and musicians ... but *not* so easy when standing right next to the piano ... *especially* for *kids*!!)
 
Probably we should mention that Chris prepares his wonderful orange-date scones for our guests... <smile>
 
A "Civilized Evening" is a modern-day descendant of the "old-fashioned" American practice of gathering with friends around a piano, listening to wonderful music, and sharing excellent conversation and refreshments.  It is specifically designed to shine a light on the "beautiful music" of each guest, and to encourage everyone present to create *more* beautiful music in their lives.  It's a *terrific* way to spend time with family and friends.  Since the "olden days," when a gathering around a piano was an "in" thing to do, people have tried out a *lot* of ways of spending their evenings.  Not all of those ways of spending time, it's turned out, are terribly valuable, edifying, or even memorable.  The essential elements of a "Civilized Evening" have passed the test of time ... and they make for a *wonderful* way to spend an evening!
 
Perhaps you'll be able to join us, one of these days, for a "Civilized Evening" here at RiceHouse.  Or perhaps you'll have a chance to attend an evening which we host somewhere other than at our home.  (If you don't live nearby, please let us know if you'll be traveling to the area!  It would be quite wonderful to meet you, and to be able to include you among our guests!)
 
But whether or not you're able to participate directly with us, we hope you'll get together with your friends, from time to time, and hold a "Civilized Evening!"  And, if you do, we'd *love* it if you'd write to us and tell us how it went!  If you like, we'll post (here on the web site) the story of some of the special aspects of your "Civilized Evening."  We know that, when people read about what you've created with your family and friends, they'll be *inspired*!  When you can, invite a young musician or two to attend ... it will give them a chance to perform, and it will encourage them in the development of their music!  (We Rice Brothers have been *wonderfully* blessed in this way, and we know how valuable it can be for young musicians to be able to bring the gift of their music to your most special friends and family!)
 
When we here at RiceHouse hold a "Civilized Evening," we plan to share about it here on the web site.  Please feel free, if you have comments or questions, to e-mail us about them!  (We've been giving some thought to turning a portion of this section of the web site into a blog format, so that our visitors can share with one another about their respective "Civilized Evenings."  We'd appreciate knowing what you think of this idea!)
 
We look forwad to hearing from you, and we look forward to joining you in bringing forth "The Civilized Evening Movement!"

 

 

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THANK YOU!

          We'd love to hear from you!   Please feel free to e-mail us at:

         CHRIS:                                          JOHNNY:                                            JOHN and JEAN (parents):

         chris@the-rice-brothers.us    johnny@the-rice-brothers.us     JRice43497@aol.com    or

                                                                                                                  parents@the-rice-brothers.us