Graduation gift: this week’s daily inspirations provide virtual treasures

If you think you detected another theme in this week’s Daily Inspirations, you are correct. Similar to the way I often give books as graduation gifts, I’ve been focused this week on resources to provide our graduating seniors with inspiration for the months and years to come. This Saturday, the University of Minnesota will be celebrating a systemwide virtual commencement, and to our graduates, Northrop offers these online treasure troves as a hearty “Hail to Thee!”

We started with a CNN guide, found by Northrop’s director back in March, as an overall roadmap to how to enjoy arts offerings online. In addition to some performing arts options, the article includes a wealth of museums, visual art experiences, and cultural sites to help you travel a bit from the comfort of your own couch.

For those of you who are classically minded, Musical America shares a weekly roundup of free classical streams from around the world. It’s updated every Monday and available on their news page.

A broader but slightly less exhaustive list of virtual concerts is available via NPR Music. They’ve been updating the page daily since Mar 17 and their listings include pop, rock, jazz, hip hop, country/Americana, electronic, and experimental music.

Now that you have time to read for pleasure, I recommend this Pointe Magazine compilation of eight ballet books. At the top of my personal list is Holding on to the Air by Suzanne Farrell, my mentor in all things Balanchine. Check your public library’s e-books and audio books to see what’s available virtually, or order for curbside pickup from your local bookstore.

Finally, although you may have outgrown summer camp, a visit to “dance camp” is always a joy, virtually and in person. Jacob’s Pillow is one of my favorite places, for its bucolic setting and for its incredible attention to both the history and the future of dance. The Jacob’s Pillow Archives, stewarded with great care by the inimitable Norton Owen, contain videos, photos, online exhibits, and collections of dance material to keep you entertained and interested all summer long.

So many students graduating this weekend touched our lives at Northrop, whether as audience members, participants in Northrop Across Campus, performers as part of a student group, denizens of our study lounges, interns, ticket office staff, ushers, or backstage workers. To all of you, we say THANK YOU, congratulations, and stay inspired!