San Rafael, CA – In a new initiative to help set a positive and welcoming tone for its meetings, the Marin County Board of Supervisors will invite a local musician or small group to play an acoustic song at the start of its meetings once a month.
The idea sprouted in September 2013 after renowned saxophone player Richard Howell made a special appearance at the start of a Board meeting about the Housing Element update of the Countywide Plan – a meeting that featured robust participation from an overflow crowd.
“Richard is a great musician and his performance of an impromptu song made us all feel like working together on solutions to a hot topic,” Board President Kate Sears said. “I thought it would be a fun thing to keep doing. Music is a wonderful way to start any meeting.”
To kick off the campaign, Tamalpais High School senior Anthony Lavezzo, who plays rock, blues, bluegrass and fingerstyle guitar, played an instrumental song before the Jan. 14 Board meeting. Lavezzo has performed at Bay Area venues such as the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley and Freight and Salvage in Berkeley.
The Board doesn’t want to give off the impression that it’s suddenly a music auditioning operation, Sears said with a laugh. “We want to be low-key about it,” she said. “We have an abundance of musical talent in Marin that is well worth showcasing for a few minutes.”
Musicians interested in performing are invited to contact public information officer Brent Ainsworth at bainsworth@marincounty.org for more information about the performances.