ABOUT THE SALON
WELCOME TO THE SALON AT THE (ZEN) GARDEN
The idea of creating a music salon was not a revelation that dawned on us on a bright morning. There were many crumbs during the last decade leading us to this point. For sure, Gloria Barczak, a friend from the cold Syracuse University times, became one of them. For years her husband, a musician, had been running a salon in their living room in Massachusetts. She glowed as she shared many amazing stories. Another was our falling in love with Japanese architecture and the Sukiya style where the garden is an extension, both physical and emotional, of the living room.
This took us on the ‘least travelled’ path of remodeling a property and building a Japanese style garden. The crazy idea became a gigantic challenge, but it is now a reality.
In the original concept and for the first ten years, the ground was covered with a magnificent lawn, but the drought of 2021 convinced us to remove the grass and plant more tolerant species.
The garden, by the way, is by all accounts in a juvenile state. With effort, good pruning, and fertilizing the garden will be mature in about 20 years, some trees are 40+ years old, and reach perfect glamor and grace in 75 years. Yet another was the sudden surprise of an emptying nest. In truth, we did not have to see a therapist about it. However, the true (and coolest) one was the fact that neither one of us had any musical training but always loved music and theater.
We could now do something about it. And in doing something new we could meet art lovers, talk and learn about music, open our home to something exhilarating, and hopefully support talented artists in their journey.
The Salon is modeled after Andrea Clearfield’s salon in Philadelphia, now in its 37th year of building a community around the arts. Our first salon happened in the Spring of 2013.
We have just a few more things for you to know about the Salon:
Attendance
Attendance is by invitation only. Invitations will need to be RSVP.
Adults Only
The salon is for adults and young adults only. Please, no children or pets. We can’t accommodate them.
Free Entry
We do not issue admission tickets. Guests are encouraged to donate between $25 and $50. Payments accepted in cash, check, or electronically. Join us in empowering our talented artists.
Contact List
You may have your name added to our Contact List by emailing us or clicking the subscribe button on the webpage.
Volunteers
Volunteers (two or three) are always needed for light tasks: direct parking, setting up dessert and wine tables, and stacking chairs. Drop us a note if you can help.
Break
There will be a 20-minutes break when wine and desserts will be served. The break will be an opportunity to mingle and meet other guests and chat with the performers.
No. of People
Our place can accommodate 45 people. Your RSVP is important.
