Although largely a social media construct, the idea that “value is a perception and perception is a value” applies to our everyday lives. Everything around us is a patchwork of considerations, competing for our attention and resources, and in Cleveland, there’s a lot vying for both. OhioAuthority’s Fresh Start helps you, the reader, sort through those options. This week, our attentions turn to the nouveau historical – something old wrapped up in something new – from the amazing music and student-musicians coming from the world-renowned Cleveland Institute of Music, to the buzz drawn by a proletariat auction house on the Lakewood-Cleveland border. Throw in the annual fundraising/awareness shindig by PlayhouseSquare Partners, the young professionals group tasked with “succession planning” for the vital arts organization and theater district, and you’ve scored yourself a week full of value and perception.

Dirty Composition

Ariadne auf Naxos showcases late Romantic-era composer Richard Strauss at his most quick-and-dirty. This romantic comedy is a spin on Molière’s play Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, offering insight into what might happen when a “serious opera” company and comedy troupe are plunged into working together. There’s plenty of Bacchus, burlesque and nymphs in this behind-the-scenes, opera-within-an-opera, which is brought to life through the fine musical craftsmanship of CIM students. You need not be an opera fan to enjoy this. It starts Wednesday, February 24 and runs through the weekend at the institute’s Kulas Hall. Call 216-791-5000 for tickets.

Get Back to Where the Art Belongs

There’s little doubt that the generation studying at CIM will go on to participate in (and patronize) the fine arts. That’s what makes PlayhouseSquare Partners, and what they do, so vitally important to the community. This group of young professionals works tirelessly to insure that future generations of northeast Ohio residents will have their venerable arts district to enjoy. The Partners’ Jump Back Ball 2010 is a top-shelf benefit, a formal evening with panache, cocktails, live music, an epicurean buffet, gambling, and much more. The Ball benefits the theatre district, and it definitely brings out the crowds. Nearly 1,000 people are expected Saturday, February 27, so we suggest getting on the horn and snagging some tickets for yourself and friends. This is real social networking, and for a worthy cause.

Throw the Gavel Down

With an amazing array of fine art, antiques, home furnishings and decorations in their auctions the folks at Gray’s Auctioneers pride themselves on providing a second life for antiquities. This Saturday, February 27 at 1PM, your life and living quarters will be poised for a little lift. Previews of the current auction start on Thursday at noon. Think you’ve got something that might be “Antiques Roadshow”-worthy for the next auction? The website has all your details on getting an appraisal. We think Gray’s Auctions are beyond price. But you should judge for yourself.

News recently spread among audiophiles that Ultrasound in Willoughby is closing in March. With its shuttering, another local, independent record store will be gone. It's a sadly familiar scenario, and one that brought a flood of memories.

As a pubescent boy living in Rocky River, I was blessed with wonderful nearby record stores. I'd ride my bike to Platter Puss Records, across the Detroit bridge that links River to Lakewood. There, owner John McNea and I would chat about music, and I listened intently as he shared his vast musical expertise. He carried an amazing array of CDs and vinyl, and he always had the latest Brit Pop singles that I wanted. He knew more about the Beatles than anybody else I knew, and he let me hold the original vinyl pressing of Guns 'n' Roses' Appetite for Destruction, featuring the cover with the Richard Williams painting of the same name that was later moved to the inside cover, with the GNR "cross" on the front of the album. It was a mint back then, and I was happy just to hold the LP. Then Platter Puss closed.

Luckily, for a poor high school student, Lakewood's Record Exchange on Detroit offered an unbeatable treasure trove of used CDs and LPs. I took dates here, it was that interesting (for me, anyway). We'd scour through vintage vinyl, laughing at curious fashions from decades past, and stand with others gathered around the towering wall of used CDs. It was exciting to find the $1 promo version of a CD, or a 25-cent copy of an album that you wanted, though it was missing the liner notes. When the store briefly closed for a remodel, my friends and I were bummed, though not nearly as upset as when it reopened with much of its used selection eviscerated to make room for video games and consoles.

In Westlake, my high school tastes were thrilled to discover My Generation. My friends and I would spend hours there, trolling the CD bins, exchanging notes on things we'd heard. We always left with something - Echo & the Bunnymen, Jesus and Mary Chain, Ride, The Saints. It was a place to hang out. The owners didn't seem to mind either, until us mindless hoodlums acted our age. Faced with the import price of $35 to purchase the Japanese-only edition of Blur Live at the Budokan, my good friend agreed to take it through the front door for me - bypassing the cash register. Before he did that, another, more sensible pal, paid for a Cause for Alarm 7-inch. As the pair passed through the door together, the inevitable sound of alarms rang through the store, at which point the merchandise was returned. We were all asked to leave. I returned not long after and bought the CD, and there were no hard feelings. For these were real people, with a keen understanding of the trappings of youth and the oft-foolish drive to acquire music. Years later, during a visit home from college, I made a carefully edited list of selections and gleefully headed out to peruse the CD bins. I arrived at the store, and to my chagrin, found it closed, with no explanation. I was genuinely heartbroken.

In Cleveland, it was tough to beat Shattered for its collection of punk releases. Located on Lorain, the owner would buzz you in through the metal door. It was akin to a secret club with a decidedly uninviting facade that belies a (mostly) welcoming atmosphere inside. The owner was a curious collector, traveling Europe for hard-to-find releases. No matter how much time elapsed between our visits, he'd remember the last records we bought, and make recommendations based on those. It was uncanny. It was there I bought my first copies of Cocksparrer and Adicts albums. Good stuff. It's closed now, too.

When I enrolled at St. Ignatius, I managed to befriend other pimply-faced malcontents who shared my interest in music. As many lived on the East Side, I was treated to new places, including Ultrasound, at its original location in Mentor. There were numerous Saturday pilgrimages to the shop, where I'd stock up on Converge, Zao and Blood for Blood albums, while giggling with friends at the always amusing selection of obscure metal to be had. I'm still a bit sad I never picked up that Corpse Vomit record.

I could go on with more tales of tragic closings. I understand that times change and often for the better; I don't want to sound like Andy Rooney. There's just something to be said about independent record stores beyond their retail selections. They were part of my young education, and they helped make sense of the world during awkward teen days. They gave my friends and I a place to go, when we were thought to be loitering everywhere else. You'll never make a friend shopping for iTunes, and a computer's suggested listening will never trump a person's recommendations. A free download simply can't compare to the tactile pleasure of holding a new CD, or the smell of old vinyl. An .mp3 album doesn't have great art and liner notes.

So, support your local record shop, such as Music Saves, Loop or Record Revolution. Even if you don't buy everything you want from them, make a point to go when you can. Robots are cool, but people are much more engaging. Most of the time, anyway.

F.A. and Gertrude Seiberling maintained a happy tradition of hospitality at Stan Hywet Hall, their spectacular 1915 Tudor Revival home in Akron. When F.A., a captain of the city's rubber industry and champion of the Lincoln Highway (fitting, for a tire maker) and his wife put the motto Non Nobis Solum - Not For Us Alone - above the entrance to their impressive estate, they couldn't have known how very many guests the Latin legend would someday welcome.

The home, now a historic museum and beloved Akron institution, will re-open to the public on April 1 with an offering of new exhibits and programming under the theme of History Unplugged: Reconnect at Stan Hywet. "We encourage everyone who visits to 'unplug' from the demands of daily life and enjoy the history of the Manor House and the beauty of the gardens," says Katie Campbell, vice president of marketing for the museum.

This year, visitors can experience Discovering the Elusive Hugo Huber, an exhibit that explores the life and career of Stan Hywet's interior decorator. Although Huber was well-known when he created the magnificent interiors for the Seiberlings' home, his accomplishments have been largely forgotten today. The Museum will also present a series of concerts in the mansion's music room, introduce new family-friendly programming and unveil a refreshed cafe and gift shop in the estate's Carriage House.

Among the first events planned for the Museum's re-opening is the April 11 performance of Michael Haber & Friends, featuring cellist Michael Haber, violinists Ioana Missits and Sae Shiragami, and violist Stanley Konopka. Haber, formerly with the Cleveland Orchestra under conductor George Szell, has also performed with the Casals Festival Orchestra under Pablo Casals and the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra at Lincoln Center in New York City. To purchase tickets, visit www.stanhywet.org.

Photo by Corey Ann.

Judson at University Circle is seeking nominations for its 2010 Smart Living Awards, which will be announced on WCLV FM 104.9 in April. Though Judson is well known for its programs and services focusing on active older adults, the Smart Living Awards honor people of all ages who contribute to the vitality of University Circle. Award categories are Arts, Education, Healthcare, Philanthropy and Volunteerism.

Among 2009's Smart Living Award winners was Ella Mae Johnson, who at 105 was the oldest attendee at President Barack Obama's inauguration. Senator Sherrod Brown provided tickets for Johnson, a lifelong social justice worker, to see the historic event.

Considering University Circle's continuing revitalization, it seems Judson could, and should, be swamped with worthy nominees. Volunteers in particular keep the Circle's vaunted institutions rolling along - who do you know that's had a serious impact on the neighborhood?

The deadline for nominations is March 22. For a nomination ballot, and to read about other previous winners, please visit www.judsonsmartliving.org, or call Rob Lucarelli at 216-791-2321. 

Maybe it’s Springsteen’s “Working on a Dream” on the radio talking, but this week’s Fresh Start seems to be all about Americana. When holidays like Independence Day, Memorial Day and Veterans Day roll around, we’re collectively full of patriotism and honor for our country and its rich history, and the people who serve it. Consider our country’s cultural hodgepodge, and the folklore and traditions of a nowhere-else-on-Earth place like New Orleans. Consider the Great American Songbook, and the stories and people from it that embody our hopes, dreams and struggles. Consider the direction we’ve moved in as a more consumer-minded society. We can all appreciate the American Experience in very different ways, but these options offer an open door to something more.

Baubles and Blue

Clevelanders know that there’s only one place to be on Fat Tuesday that beats Fat Fish Blue, and that’s New Orleans. The FFB Mardi Gras menagerie begins Tuesday, February 16 at 11 am, headlined by the four Bs: an all-day buffet, beads, bands and bevvies. Classics, such as gumbo, jambalaya, étouffée, red beans and rice, and muffuletta sliders (zesty sandwiches with meat, cheese and tapenade), will be present and accounted for. While you’re not likely to get flashed at FFB, expect a hearty helping of indigenous New Orleans blues and jazz, balloon artists, stilt walkers and the usual party vibe this arena district local is famous for. It’s no visit to New Orleans, nor is it an immersion in the music of Congo Square, but it's as close as you'll get on the North Coast, and it's a great time. 

Walk the Line

Marc Cohn is a Grammy-winning Beachwood High School grad best known for his 1991 hit single “Walking in Memphis." Cohn is sure to perform “Memphis” alongside songs from his four albums on Wednesday, February 17 at 8 pm at the Kent Stage – a popular home away from home for many of Cohn’s adult alternative ilk. (We’re surprised he’s not been spun more at the new WNWV “Boom” 107.3-FM, but we digress). It’s been a while since Cohn’s made headlines, and even longer since he made any he was happy about: In 2005, while opening a show for folkie Suzanne Vega, Cohn was shot in the head during a failed carjacking. His latest album Join the Parade reflects on this experience.

Community Spotlight

Photographer Andrew Borowiec has been shooting the social landscape of the Midwest and Middle America for many years, and to grand effect. The University of Akron’s Myers School of Art prof has shown his work at the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Smithsonian and at scads of other locations. The Akron Art Museum is the latest to feature Borowiec’s color photography, digital prints and gelatin silver photography with Looking for the American Dream: Andrew Borowiec’s Ohio Photographs. The exhibition opens Saturday, February 20, featuring a dozen large-scale images from his The New Heartland collection, and twice as many prints included from his Along the Ohio series. Borowiec’s meditations on commercial and suburban development, and the “lifestyle center” phenomenon hold the same punch as his post-industrial work; this exhibit is not to be missed.