A ‘can-do’ attitude

Aaron Jones ’08 didn’t hear the word “can’t” much when he was a student at LaGrange College.

He earned a degree in creative music technologies, with a minor in theater, and went on to receive a Master of Fine Arts degree in musical theater writing from New York University. But it was his time on the Hill that gave him the confidence to chase his dreams.

“It all started at LaGrange College,” he says. “I have my professors to thank for that, for their willingness and openness to all my wild ideas.  I never worried that something might be too big or too silly because I could go to my professors and say, ‘I have this idea to do this opera and I’m going to need some help and some people to do it and a little bit of money to get it going.’ They would always say ‘Yes, yes, yes’ and help me figure out how to do it.”

While he was a student, he wrote an opera, “Harold, Remove that Ridiculous Scarf,” and a play, “Antony Leggit’s Book of Modern Sensibilities.” The play was produced by the theater department during its regular season.

But it is the piece he composed for his senior recital that is getting another chance in the spotlight.

“We are remounting ‘Of Honey Bees and the Brevity of Such Things’ at the Frost Theater in Brooklyn,” he says. “The theater is a performance space and art gallery in the neighborhood of Williamsburg, a sort of hub of young artists and musicians. The show opens Feb. 3.”

Aaron and his wife, Anna, took his original work and expanded it.

“We added more songs, more story, more elements,” he says. “We’re sort of filling it out to its full potential.

Right now, we’re trying to raise some money. We have some professional musicians on board that we would love to pay, and we’d like to be able to buy some props and costumes.”

The couple has set up a website, www.ofhoneybees.com, describing the project and offering a way for supporters to donate money. The performance will be streamed live on the website at 8 p.m. each night through the run.

“It takes a lot of effort and money to get something like this off the ground,” he says. “But I know we’ll be able to do it.”

The college has another tie to this production.

“My brother, Trevor Jones, a junior art student at the college, is doing all the artwork for the piece,” Aaron says. “It’s going to be really cool and he’s come up with some really neat stuff. We’re super excited to have him on board with the piece, as another representation of LaGrange College here in the big city.”