Refining a Dream
A post by Rebecca Shasberger
Around the time that COVID-19 came to town, Ann told me that she was going to need to step back from Renovare in the coming months due to family circumstances. I was sad to hear this news, but looking forward to at least being able to give the performances that we already had on the calendar before making the transition. No sooner had we made this plan, though, than our calendar was wiped clean. March, April, and May concerts were cancelled, and even plans that were in the works for this Fall came to a standstill. Along with the rest of the world, we realized that this pandemic wasn’t going to be a short term inconvenience. And as I joined the rest of the performing arts community in trying to reimagine Renovare’s future, I found myself faced with an additional set of questions.
What would Renovare look like without Ann? Who would I generate ideas with? Renovare was always conceived to be a team of artists working together to affect change. Was it time to reimagine the communal nature of Renovare’s work?
As I was asking these questions, the country was reacting to yet another series of tragic events surrounding issues of race. I’ve always hoped that Renovare would be able to lean into matters of racial reconciliation, and those hopes have only become more fervent. How could Renovare go about doing such things, especially if Renovare’s “team” was just myself?
In the midst of my uncertainties, a friend and mentor reached out and offered to help me think and pray through Renovare’s plans (or lack thereof). Just as many organizations are having to rethink their delivery models or services in this time, she encouraged me to write down what the “non-negotiables” of Renovare are, and what things might need to change, whether because of pandemic realities or a refined understanding of our vision.
So I went back to the drawing board. As I did, some themes emerged. Sharing music. An artistic community. Loving people. Building bridges. Sharing stories. Doing our artistic work with excellence. Being small and mobile enough to go to different places. But what was conspicuously absent from my efforts to articulate Renovare’s non-negotiables were two words I had always assumed would be there:
String quartet.
It’s an artistic vehicle I’ve known, and one I love. It’s the “gold standard” string chamber ensemble for a cellist, or at least that’s the message one hears in a conservatory environment. It’s the kind of ensemble that competitions exist for, that people recognize, and that an endless amount of music has been written for. But as I thought through Renovare’s non-negotiables, it became apparent that we could do and be what I had always dreamed of in a vehicle other than a string quartet.
In fact, it dawned on me that maybe Renovare could live more fully into the things I had always dreamed of as something different than a string quartet.
A behind the scenes look at recording Christian's debut album.
Another result of my conversation with that mentor was a connection with Christian Singleton. Christian was (and is still currently) in the process of recording an album, and she invited me to add cello and vocals to some of the tracks. It was a delightful process, and I was drawn to the power of her spoken word. Beyond that, it was clear that our artistic interests were fueled by a shared passion for God’s Kingdom.
Around that same time, I reconnected with Lalia Mangione, a violinist friend from undergrad. Lalia had expressed interest in Renovare more than two years ago, back when I first invited friends and colleagues to audition for the ensemble. At the time, though, she was starting a new degree program and wasn’t available to apply. Her interest hadn’t waned, though, and she applied to be part of Renovare over the summer.
In the Spring of 2019 I posted Renovare job openings on multiple job boards and sent dozens of personal emails in the hopes of finding additional artists to add to Renovare’s roster. Ann and I were only a duo at the time, and we wanted to be a string quartet. Due to the pandemic, this past Spring I didn’t post openings on job boards, nor did I pursue possibilities with extensive emailing. But God brought people to me who were interested in joining the work of Renovare.
And so, after completing our audition process, Christian and Lalia accepted the invitation to be part of Renovare’s Team. Violin, spoken word, and cello. It’s not a string quartet. For that matter, it’s not a combination I know of anyone else using. But I can imagine so many ways that God may use our unique backgrounds and artistic expressions to do His work in the world.
For those of you who have been on this journey with Renovare for a while, thank you for your trust and faithfulness in pursuing with us the work of bringing hope and healing through music. For those of you who are just joining us, thank you for stepping into our story! It’s a story about music and beauty, a story of restoration and community, and we’re so glad to have you as part of it.
P.S. If you aren’t already, follow Renovare Music on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with our adventures! (Lalia will be heading up our social media, which means it’s going to improve from the times I was in charge of it...)