Creating a Salon, Creating a Community

At the height of the salon culture, ideas were shared, friendships burnished, and alliances forged. There were salons that were renowned for their scandal, others through the lasting concepts that emerged. Some were public, and places to be seen, while others were discreet, exclusive and rarified.

From 17^th century France and England to the early 20^th century, salons flourished as a place where creative people would meet to discuss art, literature, politics and, no doubt, themselves.

We’ve forgotten the art of coming together with intention. We seem to have mastered the cocktail party and the odd dinner party, but gathering around a topic has lost its place. In an era when any fact can be attained in a few key strokes, setting aside time for stories and music and debates can seem quaint and unnecessary.

Earlier generations sought fellowship, argument, and ideas through the concept of salon, just as they valued the sort of entertainment that they could provide for each other.

We could point to readily available media, either for reasons of entertainment, political discourse, or fact-finding as the death knell of the salon, but I think it’s more systemic than that. We have either become hyper-aware of our potential to offend others with differing viewpoints, or we’ve become so overly scheduled that the thought of taking a few hours for conversation can seem like a waste of time.

Once a month I gather my students for a time of discussion and reflection. A time when we seek answers through discourse and conversation. We have discussed the 19^th century artist brotherhoods (Nazarenes and the Pre-Raphaelites) one evening, and the Symbolist poets on another. We’ve had rousing discussions over the concept of comparative religion one salon, and the theory of multiple intelligence and the work of Howard Gardner on another.

Interestingly, everyone who hears of our salons immediately responds positively, wishing they could be apart of something like this. I always suggest that they can, and should.

Start with a topic: a composer or an era, a painting or a philosophy, and allow the conversation to take its own direction. Send out a series of questions, and most importantly, allow for controversy. Every voice is heard, questioned and celebrated. Egos or checked at the door, and no one is expected to be the smartest person in the room.

If you have the skill and courage to play the latest Sonatina you’ve been scraping through, or a book idea you’ve been mulling over, allow time for this. Start with a question; “Why this piece or work?,” “How is this similar to others we know?,” or “What descriptive words come to mind that would best describe your reaction to this music/painting/idea?” Think of this as less of a workshop (there are plenty of those), and more of meeting of minds.

Dress for the event, and create a space that feels special and apart from daily routine. Remember this isn’t a cocktail party where people are expected to be charming. This is a time to learn and to share.

Because my students are all musicians, during our monthly salon we have one rule; any topic is fair game except music. This works for a group like this as it allows for the exploration of the unfamiliar. Certainly other kinds of groups should include music, it’s just that my conservatory students are encouraged to think outside of music if only for one evening a month.

Evening’s topic choices are boundless, but by way of keeping some sort of organization, I encourage my readers to stick to one topic per salon. Turn off all electronics including phones and PDAs, and don’t allow for reference materials of any kind. This will ensure that guests come prepared and ready to discuss, instead of “looking up,” or “Googling.” Set a limit as to the number of guests. I would include no more than 10 and any given salon. Before the event be sure to sent out invitations including the topic of the evening.

Prepare a simple menu of finger foods and wine. Let this be a regular feature in your lives, and I am sure you will delight in what emerges through lively debate.