WGBH Arts  

Josiah A. Spaulding, Jr., President of Citi Performing Arts, discusses his passion for the arts:

 

"I’ve had many special moments related to the arts, but a pivotal moment was when I started to teach myself to play guitar and piano inspired by the song In Memory of Elizabeth Reed by the Allman Brothers. In high school, I’d immerse myself listening to it in order to learn the chords. Once while driving my Volkswagen bus, I was so absorbed in the song (OK, it WAS a little loud), that I didn’t hear the sirens on a police car trying to pull me over.
 
In my 25 years at Citi Center, I’ve been fortunate to experience performances of all genres but what gives me a thrill is watching our audiences enjoying a memorable performance in an iconic building. The arts are generational and inherent in all of us, a great inspiration we sometimes take for granted, and I get to remind people of that gift every day."