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| photo by Arturo Rodriguez |
First, for those of you who have never been to Utah yet have preconceived notions of how it might be, let me assure you that it is both gorgeous and welcoming. Driving into Park City from the Salt Lake City Airport, one sees mountains like those in the Lord of the Rings. The city itself is more like a village, with a charming downtown barely half-a-mile long, filled with rustic shops and eateries that remind me so much of my days in Vermont. Thanks to the generosity of my friend and fellow composer Blake Neely, I had an incredibly comfortable room in a ski cottage previously owned by Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli. Located just off the main drag, it was the perfect place to have as my home base.
Though it may surprise you, I did not actually see any films during my 3.5 days at Sundance. Because festival passes are outrageously expensive and most screenings are sold out before it even begins, the majority of festival-goers take my approach: show up and mingle. I very quickly realized that no one sleeps at Sundance. One gets up early, attends panels, events, maybe a film, and spends the whole day trying to get on lists for parties in the evening. After a bite and a caffeine jolt in the evening you hit the parties, reconnect with those you met during the day, and then make it a point to meet everyone they know. Then from there you get invited to even later parties back at residences, sleep for 3 hours if you're lucky, then get up and do it all over again. It sounds nuts, but it is such a blast, and what's better is that I had a group of friends from LA to share it with.
From a combination of being both a musician and a ham, I was able to take advantage of numerous music-related events including an ASCAP Composer Brunch, several nights at the ASCAP Late Night Lounge, a ball hosted by BMI featuring some incredible live music, and a gathering for the USC Film School. Lots of cards were given out, lots of good connections made. For those who may be curious, I did not seen any celebrities. The real paparazzi madness happens in the first weekend - I arrived just after it was all over, which to be honest I was not sad about.
Unfortunately, this may be one of the few instances where only so much can be conveyed through my words. Some of you might read this and think "so you went up to Utah and wandered around randomly at a festival for a few days?" What I can say is that the vibe one experiences at the festival is both inspiring and addictive - unlike any other. Consider a gathering of people all united under the same dream, converging in the hopes that they will bring themselves one small step closer to achieving it. Such a force makes the energy electric, an environment bursting with hope and potential. Needless to say, I've already started planning my trip for next year.
Though it may surprise you, I did not actually see any films during my 3.5 days at Sundance. Because festival passes are outrageously expensive and most screenings are sold out before it even begins, the majority of festival-goers take my approach: show up and mingle. I very quickly realized that no one sleeps at Sundance. One gets up early, attends panels, events, maybe a film, and spends the whole day trying to get on lists for parties in the evening. After a bite and a caffeine jolt in the evening you hit the parties, reconnect with those you met during the day, and then make it a point to meet everyone they know. Then from there you get invited to even later parties back at residences, sleep for 3 hours if you're lucky, then get up and do it all over again. It sounds nuts, but it is such a blast, and what's better is that I had a group of friends from LA to share it with.
From a combination of being both a musician and a ham, I was able to take advantage of numerous music-related events including an ASCAP Composer Brunch, several nights at the ASCAP Late Night Lounge, a ball hosted by BMI featuring some incredible live music, and a gathering for the USC Film School. Lots of cards were given out, lots of good connections made. For those who may be curious, I did not seen any celebrities. The real paparazzi madness happens in the first weekend - I arrived just after it was all over, which to be honest I was not sad about.
Unfortunately, this may be one of the few instances where only so much can be conveyed through my words. Some of you might read this and think "so you went up to Utah and wandered around randomly at a festival for a few days?" What I can say is that the vibe one experiences at the festival is both inspiring and addictive - unlike any other. Consider a gathering of people all united under the same dream, converging in the hopes that they will bring themselves one small step closer to achieving it. Such a force makes the energy electric, an environment bursting with hope and potential. Needless to say, I've already started planning my trip for next year.
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