Modest musical wishes

Suzie Harrison

If they could, Laguna Beach residents would post a sign at Bluebird

Park starting at the end of July through the beginning of September

that reads, “residents only from 5 to 7 p.m. Sundays.”

The reason for the desired exclusivity is the fear of overcrowding

during the summer concert series Music in the Park. Locals worry that

the 21-year Laguna tradition might become extinct if it gets too many

attendees.

As it is, concertgoers come hours before the event to find a place

for their picnics. The park turns into a sea of connecting blankets

covering every inch of real estate.

Founder Doris Shields speaks fondly of the event she formed more

than two decades ago, but is also worried. “It’s now at capacity and

is getting uncomfortable,” Shields said. “I wish there was a way to

limit it.”

She has seen the demise of similar venues due to too much

overcrowding.

“Some friends took me to University of California Irvine outdoor

concerts, they had the likes of Aretha Franklin and huge crowds,”

Shields said. “And we tried not to have huge crowds -- we hoped that

it would not happen, but this year’s crowds are capacity for Bluebird

Park.”

Shields has trepidation about the affect on residents who live

near the park. That’s one of the reasons why the community prefers

that only Laguna residents attend.

In 1983 overcrowding was the least of her worries.

“I had little help the first year -- my husband died that year,”

Shields said.

But she did enlist the help of Leigh Unger, then a music professor

at Fullerton College. She had a month to put the event together and

Unger, who played the harpsichord, was able to gather some of his

students and fellow musicians to perform. That first year it was held

at Nita Carmen Park, and there were about three or four concerts,

Shields said.

“I heard the wonderful acoustics at Nita Carmen Park, but it only

could be there one year because at the corner of the park, there’s so

much traffic noise,” Shields said. “After the first year, it moved to

Bluebird Park.”

She said four bands played and 30 people attended the first year

there.

“Now there are nine concerts and about 1,000 people [at Music in

the Park],” Shields said.

Another source of help from the beginning has been the city’s Arts

Commission, of which Shields was a member.

“The Arts Commission’s role has grown and has altered,” Shields

said. “We sponsored it and budgeted everything until the Arts

Commission needed money for other programs.”

As a consequence, Music in the Park coordinators had to figure out

how to raise money themselves.

“From the audience came a couple, Les and Marilyn Thomas, who had

been fundraisers in their community before they came here,” Shields

said. “It was about ’94 when Marilyn and Les [came on board] and he

formed a corporation called Music in the Park, Inc.”

She has been thrilled with the results of the partnership.

“They are wonderful and have carried out everything I could ever

hope for,” Shields said. They greet everyone as they come into the

concerts. Throughout the evening, Marilyn takes snapshots of willing

crowd members and lets them know that they can collect the photos for

free the following week. Until she retired four years ago due to

health issues, Shields had never missed a concert.

“Now I attend and applaud and go as often as I can. It’s

everything I hoped it would be,” Shields said. “Les Thomas is on the

Arts Commission and is an avid supporter of the arts in Laguna. “It’s

just a great gathering of people in the community, getting along

well, having a good time, watching people blend of all ages ... there

to enjoy each other’s company and an evening of music,” Les Thomas

said.

Les Thomas said that he doesn’t feel it has changed much over the

years.

“I think people still come and enjoy each other. Almost everyone

there is in a wonderful mood celebrating Laguna,” Les Thomas said.