In the atrium of the Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center a flutist, pianist and saxophonist gathered as a trio to play music inspired by nature. And to represent today’s society to help emphasize that art and science are not and should not be thought of as separate entities.
Verismo Trio, a group based in classical, jazz and avant garde music, performed Tuesday at the Berry Center. The Biodiversity Institute has been hosting concert series each fall, spring and summer semesters since the Berry Center opened in Nov. 2012.
“The primary goal of the series is to express science in artistic forms and show the ways that art is a part of science,” said Brenna Marsicek, Project Coordinator.
“We make a mistake by thinking that arts and sciences are separate,” Carlos Martinez del Rio, Biodiversity Institute Director.
Verismo Trio Pianist and Chair of the University of Wyoming’s Music Department agrees with Martinez del Rio. She said that science and art are very connected.
“I think that when people don’t connect science and art we go astray as a society,” said Bogard. “When science and art is connected is makes for better individuals as a whole.”
The pieces played by the trio were inspired by subject matter that is in close relation with the Biodiversity Institute. Bogard introduced songs that composers wrote about nature, trees and even data.
Bogard said that she really does believe they are related and that society needs to get out of the mindset that only the brain—only half the brain at that—is used for science. The whole individual need to use the whole brain for whatever they do, she said.
“If we don’t have all sorts of people in society, we’ve lost something,” said Bogard.
Martinez del Rio thinks that even scientists write about their research they must write it in an artful way.
“I think that our job at the institute is to inform people about biodiversity and why it is important and why we must conserve it,” Martinez del Rio said. “I just don’t think that it is enough to show people about data. If you want to change people’s minds, data’s fine, but to change people’s hearts you use art.”
