Dreams Come True

[img]541|left|Carter Dewberry||no_popup[/img]My show on Saturday night was a dream come true, the event I have always wanted to create.

From the moment I stepped onstage, all my little voices quieted, and my entire being focused on my only real job – to express whatever it was in that moment I had to offer to the hundreds who had chosen to spend their Saturday night with me at the Yost Theater, Santa Ana.

This sense of floating on air lasted through the show, and it is with me as I write this piece, a reminder of the beauty of being an artist.

Creating the Compete Experience

But this moment was not the beginning of the evening for the audience.

The event began with a pre-party at my loft space down the street, hosted by none other than my mother and sister.

My beautiful family prepared select hors d’oeuvres and wine to the backdrop of my home, where people were able to see where I created my debut album, complete with my wall of inspirational quotes and mother’s stories from my youth.

Guests were then led to the Yost Theater, where they were able to enjoy a wine and chocolate dessert bar, one of my favorite culinary combinations.

Judging from my sister, who had run from the pre-party to host this offering, the peppermint tea-infused chocolate truffles especially were a rave success.

Once concert-goers stepped into the theater to take their seats, they were greeted by a slideshow highlighting the artists involved with the evening’s program.

I felt this step was integral to having the audience comprehend why I brought such an eclectic group of pieces and people to the same program.

And then, after all of these enticing elements, there was the performance, a 75-minute show that consisted of cello complemented first with didgeridoo, then jazz guitar, oboe and clarinet, all accompanied by video and dance segments.

This I will not begin to describe, except to say I have been responding to excited emails and future concert date requests since the performance. (Sign up for my mailing list, and you can hear clips from the show for yourself.)

My desire for the event was to create a complete sensory experience for the audience, one that would allow them a window into the world of my expression through many forms.

From feedback I have received, in this I have achieved resounding success.

Ms. Dewberry, an accomplished cellist, completed her DMA in Chamber Music Performance from UCLA in December 2005. She received her MM in Cello Performance from UCLA in June 2002 and her B.M. in Cello Performance from Western Michigan University in April 1998. She also holds a B.A. in French with a minor in Women's Studies and Philosophy.

She may be contacted at carter@carterdewberry.com