Music in the Valley, Magic in the Making

People trickled in gradually at first, walking from the parking lot across a wooden bridge into the Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden. The occasion was the inaugural concert in a series organized by Grey Bear Erickson to launch MÁS, a new nonprofit organization whose broad goal is to make music and art more accessible to all. A Chumash blessing reminded us of the sanctity of this place and one another, and Joachim Cooder performed his beautiful songs as the late June sunlight filtered through the trees, little children played along garden pathways, and friends on chairs and blankets took time out from the woes of the world and remembered enchantment.

MÁS (the letters stand for Music and Art Support — and more of it) is an ongoing labor of love and collaborative effort, but the vision originated with Bear, who first learned and experienced music in the Santa Ynez Valley and has worked there professionally as a musician, producer, educator, and composer for 25 years. “I want others to have access to the kinds of experiences that were available to me,” he says. “Music and art help create community, and with more community, we have a deeper, healthier, more resilient and independent culture, and that means a better quality of life for all.”

MÁS will offer aspiring musicians accessible opportunities for education, experience, and professional development. The concerts in the garden will bring the out-of-town professional world to the locals for all to share in a fortifying fusion of art, music, and nature. And Bear has other corollaries in mind: a gear library, for example, with an inventory of equipment that can be borrowed; hands-on tech training for young people that may lead to paid jobs later; a coordinated online calendar of all local nonprofit events; a recording studio run by kids; a youth jam night; and innovative cooperative arrangements with other local entities. “We will support people learning music and art, experiencing music and art, and making music and art,” he declared.

But Bear acknowledges that the costs of lessons, equipment, and shows are often prohibitive, and it is undeniably challenging to navigate and fund these concerts and meet future goals. MÁS is bolstered by the efforts of enthusiastic volunteers, but the organization supports a living wage for all musicians and artists. Donations vary widely, and as it begins its initial programming, MÁS is grateful for the support of the Santa Barbara Youth Project, which has administrative structures in place to make things, in Bear’s words, “unbelievably smoother.” Right now, their website at santabarbarayouthproject.org includes a description of MÁS, a video, and a convenient “donate” button. 

At the second summer concert, on July 26, MÁS welcomed The Waymarkers, a dynamic Celtic quintet. “From gypsy laments to rollicking jigs,” said a friend who was there, “The entire park was one big gala.” Next, on August 30,^, the unique Masamba Marimba will perform their upbeat music from Latin, Pan African, and American traditions played on Zimbabwean marimbas along with vocals, drums, percussion, trumpet, and trombone, inviting the audience to join in. “Masanga” comes from an African word that means the coming together of rivers or roads, and that describes this joyful synthesis perfectly. 

Finally, the series will culminate in early October with Mariachi Mestizo, a youth ensemble from Delano, to perform and teach about variations of mariachi music. Made up of middle and high school students, this acclaimed group has played at world-class venues, preserving and expanding on Mexico’s mariachi traditions, and delighting audiences everywhere. 

I was fortunate to be present at the first MÁS concert in the garden; there was a kind of magic there, and everyone felt it. “It strengthened and reinforced my belief in what our community is capable of manifesting,” reflected Bear afterward. One of the most touching songs performed by Joachim Cooder that night was inspired by a young girl he had glimpsed at a Texas Roadhouse restaurant while passing through Fort Smith, Arkansas. He wondered what dreams and secrets were locked inside her heart. Would she leave this town to follow those dreams someday? He thought too about his own daughter at home and what the future might hold. 

“Godspeed, little children,” he sang, “Soon, you’ll be growing up.” 

Learn more at mascommunity.org.