Why Community Matters
Local creativity is overflowing in communities as moms, dads, small business owners, nonprofit leaders and volunteers are finding new ways to communicate in this new world of social isolation. Their coping strategies and ingenuity is beyond inspiring!
We are proud to introduce you to these innovators in “Why CommunityMatters”, a series made possible by LIFEWTR.
Meet Laurie Kenagy, Executive Director of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra (RSO) and President of the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra (WCYO).
With the new norm of practicing social distancing, how are you finding creative ways to connect with family and friends?
Fortunately, technology has afforded us all numerous ways to communicate virtually that we wouldn’t have had even ten years ago. But something I’ve found very interesting is how much more I’m actually talking on the phone, using FaceTime or video conferencing in the past couple of weeks as compared to just emailing or texting – for personal and business communication. I think people really want to hear voices and see faces during this time of social distancing and are being very creative with the use of technology and social media to accomplish that. I’ve also found the range of topics we are all discussing is amazingly broad, no matter the initial topic of conversation, likely because we aren’t having as many causal and frequent conversations in person right now. Interestingly, in some ways I think we are all connecting on a deeper level given how we are being forced to communicate and our current shared experience.
Can you tell us if you or any of your colleagues are doing creative things at home to find joy and inspiration?
We have been lucky to have had, for the most part, nicer than normal weather for this time of year, and getting outside has been a true source of joy for me personally. Exercising, doing work for my job and even talking on the phone while outside at our home have been great ways to break up the days and avoid cabin fever. I’ve also listened to some amazing new music and thought-provoking podcasts, and I’ve talked to others who are doing the same, or reading new books, reinvigorating a hobby or starting a new one. I personally always find inspiration in listening to music and from interacting with creative people, and seeing what so many musician friends and colleagues are doing at home during this time to find and spread joy has been amazing! They have started Facebook pages for musicians to share their playing and to host live events, they are uniting musicians for virtual chamber ensembles or orchestras, teaching their students via Skype and reaching broad groups of youth musicians via video conferencing. Another source of inspiration has been seeing the truly creative things arts organizations are doing to stay in touch with their patrons and communities. Things like live Facebook concerts, special interactive email blasts, and live chats to help patrons and community members feel engaged with the organization and with each other. And all of these things are being done individually or collectively right from our homes.
Do you know of any local businesses or nonprofits innovating to serve communities during this difficult time? How?
Look no further than right around Ridgefield to see all the innovative things businesses and nonprofits are doing to serve our community and help people feel more connected and supported during this challenging and stressful time. The restaurants are a great example! They have done innovative and generous things from making choices for takeout easy, and pickup or delivery contact-free, to actually offering free food to those who are struggling financially. Other businesses are offering delivery options and have increased their online presence. As a nonprofit, dealing with canceled events and the inability to gather, we are working to stay connected to our patrons and the broader community as best we can - namely through social media.
The Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra is actually making select audio recordings of past performances available to share through our email blasts and on our website at ridgefieldsymphony.org under the “Enjoy the RSO! tab. Another thing we have seen are organizations promoting, sharing and “liking” all the things other nonprofits are doing, posting and distributing. Collaboration among the nonprofits in Ridgefield has always been a great way to serve our community and is now more important than ever, and I think we will see some fantastic creative innovations come out of our current circumstances and restrictions of social distancing.
Learn more about local creative Laurie Kenagy and the RSO and WCYO.
Community matters - now more than ever. We are thankful to LIFEWTR for helping us to connect and stay strong.