Hearing music has more advantages than people realize. It can motivate exercise, decrease anxiety, aid sleeping patterns and generate creative solutions. As members of the Bienville Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution learned recently, music is also useful in bringing history to life.  

Hearing is one thing; really listening is another. Listen closely to the music at next week’s Foothills Piano Festival recital to imagine the images the composers created with their style, and pay close attention to the plot of “Matilda” when the CAST community theater production opens Oct. …

As August turns into September, the entertainment offerings increase as new music and theater seasons get a fresh start. As the days grow shorter, the event list grows longer, taking us into fall.

There’s a voice to be heard in quality art exhibits, ballet performances and concerts. In art shows, each work speaks through expression. In ballet, there’s a story to be told. In concerts, the composer’s voice has a definite effect on mind and mood. I’m told that some people do their best t…

The summer is winding down but there’s still time for vacations. If you’re on a “stay-cation” instead, why not take time to read a book? Here are two I recommend, one for all ages and another for young readers. Settle down into a rocking chair on a shady front porch and enjoy the read before…

It may be time to head to the beach or the mountains, but if you stay in town there’s plenty to do. The arts never take a vacation! A painting collection in a log cabin in Saks is one attraction this month, as well as a book signing at Oxford Performing Arts Center on Saturday and a musical …

David Cummings’ photographic exhibits have been seen and enjoyed by many of us. This Anniston dentist and his wife, Lesa, have traveled to 67 countries, shooting scenes of people, places and cultures that they brought home to us.

If words can’t say it all, art and music can. Visual art speaks through its subjects and textures; music can awaken our deepest emotions.

“Life is one grand, sweet song. So let the music begin!” — Ronald Reagan

Many of you enjoy live music. Live art, too can be just as exciting. Events that highlight both forms are scheduled this week, with a worship musical tonight at Parker Memorial Baptist Church in Anniston and interactive art demonstrations at Talladega’s Heritage Hall Museum this month from M…

Two new openings on the art scene provide pathways to American history. One is in the form of entertainment, and the other showcases facts about our local World War II heroes.

Enjoy your summer vacation, but return soon. There’s a burst of not-to-miss attractions filling the calendar, including Noonday Notations at Anniston’s First United Methodist Church … Vintage Bazaar and opening of the redesigned Pearl Harbor room at The Berman Museum … “Bringing Back Shakesp…

“The world is a great book,” St. Augustine once said. “Those who never stir from home have read only a page.”

As we celebrate Alabama’s 200th birthday, it’s time to honor the people who have shaped and developed our state. On the list of influential names are musicians, writers and artists who have had a lasting impact on our daily lives.

“Keep learning, keep practicing!” art teachers and mentors encourage students. “There could be a spotlight waiting for you.”

Two women share their adventures in creating new places for our minds through writing and painting. Lynn Lacher, author of “The Lick Skillet Coffee Club,” and Alabama oil painter Barbara Davis, the featured artist at Oxford Performing Arts Center, channel experiences that only a Southerner c…

Concerts, with rousing and soothing music, can work magic on an evening’s mood. Theater productions too, can lift our spirits or change our frame of mind. Visual art, as well, brings us new thoughts. Three such events — a concert by the Jacksonville State University/Community Orchestra, a mu…

Tradition from different time periods is the focus of two art exhibits this month.

“With the new day comes new strengths and new thoughts” is the Jan. 7 quotation from Eleanor Roosevelt on my daily calendar. A personal strength and encouragement in Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the first lady’s life in January 1930 was increasing attention from the media about Warm Springs…

They are found in valleys or towns, in sheds or barns. They are occasionally sighted on the street, parked or in parades.