As Arthur Arnold and his PRISMA on the Couch co-hosts signed off last June after 10 episodes, they vowed it was for the last time.
After all, Pacific Region International Summer Music Association is known for its in-person concerts and masterclasses, not television and livestream productions. However, with the pandemic continuing to affect international travel and limit options for public events, the series will be coming back for a second season this month.
“Although restrictions had evolved a bit in 2021 and we were fortunate to be able to restore some education and performance activities for North American students in June either online and in-person, we decided there were a few more stories to tell on our couches in July and August,” said Andy Rice, PRISMA’s marketing director and a co-host/co-producer of the series.
On July 23 PRISMA on the Couch will be back on the airwaves, with a few cosmetic changes but the same internal focus on music and conversation that attracted viewers from around the world and locally garnered a ‘Best of qathet’ award in the July edition of qathet Living magazine.
“One of the most exciting developments this year is the outdoor component to our studio segments,” said Rice. “This time we decided to take the show on the road and are going to be hosting it from six beautiful destinations around the qathet region, including Tla’amin Nation and Texada Island.”
Rice and Arnold will even trade in their couches for a boat in one of the episodes, hoping to show off some harder-to-reach areas and promote a resurgence in tourism as the community begins to reopen.
“Filming in Desolation Sound, now that’s going to be a particularly tough day at the office,” said Rice.
For Arnold, this second season of PRISMA on the Couch presents an opportunity to shore up some of the connections that have been lost through social distancing and event cancellations over the past 16 months.
“Music is such a powerful art form and the ideal medium to experience our depth as human beings, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who has sorely missed it,” said Arnold. “As we keep our fingers crossed for the resurrection of PRISMA in 2022 with a full orchestra, bigger and better than ever, these clips from our archives are a reminder of those shared experiences. Audiences desperately need music, and musicians desperately need audiences.”
Footage offers insight
Even through a screen, the footage projects a significant amount of energy and enthusiasm, according to Rice. Arnold’s introductions in-studio will provide context and highlight the chronology of PRISMA’s student orchestras from 2013 to the most recent symphony performances in 2019, he said, adding that interviews with renowned guest artists and recordings from PRISMA’s virtual classroom will offer insight into what it means – and what it takes – to be a professional musician.
Several excerpts from PRISMA’s 2021 performances featuring the Lafayette String Quartet and Cascadia Trio on the Evergreen Theatre stage are also set to be included in the series.
“For as much content as we unearthed from the archives last summer, I was amazed at how much there was still left to share,” said Rice. “Nothing has been repeated or recycled, and the behind-the-scenes footage from 2021 offers a whole new perspective on the resilience of our staff, students and guest artists during this pandemic. I think people are really going to enjoy this second set of episodes.”
PRISMA on the Couch is available to watch free of charge on Facebook and YouTube, and on Shaw Spotlight in Powell River. A new episode will air every Friday at 8 pm until the end of August. For more information, go to prismafestival.com/livestream.
