Owned by Lexi’s parents, the ‘Art Center house’ in Pasadena was a very comfortable place to be at any time of the day, or night. The house was a beautiful Craftsman-style design built in a time when craftsmanship was authentic and good design was real. I don’t remember the house’s size but I do remember it’s layout well.

Iconic architecture is priceless. It embodies a sense of time and place of society and local culture. When I was much younger, before I had any sense or respect for good design, I remember thinking that all ‘old’ buildings should always be torn down and rebuilt with structure of current design. Little did I realize then that this internal desire was me staking my own claim in iconic architecture. I wanted design to look ‘contemporary’. But for how long? Rather quickly over time I realized what I was doing; and it was holding on to a piece of my life, my own historical progression.

A cognitive legacy was being created.

We all had our favorite. There were many musical artists that our Art Center ‘group’ gravitated to during the early-80’s. I don’t know if this is the case for everyone else, but for me Talking Heads was a universal iconoclast of musical genius. Introduced to me by lex, I had never previously listened to them. I wasn’t missing ‘something’, I was missing everything.

TH immediately became my go-to band for fun, intellectual, and inspiring music. The band was awesome its quirkiness and their rhythmic blends of music were unique.

It seemed often that TH was played in the Art Center house studio. The sound system in there was great, set up by Mike of course. I did however know where the power button, was located which was a plus in my book. While working together one or all of us would break out in fun and silly dance. It didn’t matter what band was being played but TH music seemed to have a magical aura that would get us all going.

Our favorite Talking Heads songs:

Lex: Once in a Lifetime

Mike: Burning Down the House

Me: Making Floppy Floppy

During our time we attending Art Center, the Talking Heads’ movie Stop Making Sense had a limited run at the Rialto Theatre on Fair Oaks Avenue. The Rialto was an awesome iconic piece of architecture that first opened in 1925. Fifty-nine years later me, Irene, Lex, Mike, Elizabeth, Elaine, and Hollie went to the Rialto so see that movie. By this time, we were all well versed in TH songs and this movie provided us a bit of respite from our grueling school schedule.

Stop Making Sense was a filmed concert, unlike anything we had seen before. The music was wonderful and the pre-digital era visuals were fun, awesome and pure.

Art Center College of Design, Good friends, Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense, The Rialto.

“It’s hard to imagine… that nothing at all, could be so exciting, could be this much fun.”

-Heaven; Talking Heads, 1979.