Who’s Afraid of a Free Ticket?

 

Turning down a free ticket … that’s crazy!

 

Winning the Mondavi Center Golden Ticket Social Media Storyteller Contest was a team effort. It astonished me how literally hundreds of people cared enough to take the time to vote for me. When I won I was so excited to see not only big name artists like Elvis Costello and Yo-Yo Ma, but also lesser known artists. Either way, I felt that each and every performance was a gift that I couldn’t wait to experience (and I still do).

One amazing perk of winning the contest is that I receive TWO tickets to the performances, which means I can take a friend. Sounds cool right? I thought I’d be the most popular person in Davis with anxious knocks at my door and excited phone calls. I even imagined friends fighting over who gets to go with me to the next performance. 

To my amazement, this did not happen. Instead, I find myself searching for people to attend performances with me.

Perhaps it is because the ticket is free. Maybe people don’t appreciate it because it literally costs them nothing but time. Whatever the reason, they are missing out! (Especially with the up and coming artists) I’ve found that a soothing quartet or a funky band from a foreign country just doesn’t “impress” people.

I personally think there is nothing more beautiful than watching people on the brink of fame. They work just as hard as the big names, but they are still climbing the ladder. I think that changes the way they perform. Watching their enthusiasm and fresh stage presence is inspiring and always rejuvenates me.

My point is, stay curious and open minded. I admit I have attended performances that I thought might be a little boring, but 99% of the time my judgment was wrong and I was wowed.

 If you were offered a free ticket to a Mondavi Center performance would you take it?

—Bridgétt Rangel-Rexford


Bridgétt Rangel-Rexford is the winner of the 2012–13 winner of the Mondavi Center Golden Ticket Social Media Contest. Chosen to be the social media storyteller for our 10th anniversary season, Bridgétt will blog about her experiences at Mondavi Center performances throughout the season. You can also check out her Sun Queen Blog.