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The Arroyo del Rey Foundation Invites You to: The Salon on the
What began in our home beneath the bridges now reaches across the world on Zoom. Month after month, you have filled these gatherings with insight, generosity, and warmth, and I am deeply grateful to each of you. As our 31st year continues, the Salon is now presented by the Arroyo del Rey Foundation, so that this celebration of the spiritually creative life may inspire generations to come. Thank you for being part of it. All are welcome but please email us so that we know you will be attending at Kingcarol@aol.com. Also, we are currently announcing the 2027 Lyceums – to be held in-person at Arroyo del Rey in Pasadena – further opportunities to concentrate on positive uplifted thought. Please check your emails for this notice for the dates and times of this array of meaningful gatherings. Love and Joy
Our 31st Year Continues Please join Carol Soucek King virtually on HEALING
Main Presentation Mark R. Johnson Guqin: Returning Harmony
Scroll Down for: 9:30 am Pacific Standard Time 10 am until noon – Program
Meditation Nan Rae’s latest published book – now available on Amazon
Opening Song "Open Wide" Dean welcomes us to listen to and download his music at no charge by accessing his personal website: deancarlston.com
Salute to November Birthdays, Main Presentation: "Guqin: Returning Harmony
“The Guqin (goo-CHIN) is believed to have existed for at least 4,000 to 5,000 years, making it the world’s oldest stringed instrument. The name itself translates to ‘ancient instrument’. In all those millenia, it has remained largely unchanged and is still widely played today. Perhaps surprisingly, many believe the instrument was created primarily for the purpose of health and wellness. “To make sense of this, it helps to understand traditional Chinese medicine and how it connects the five elements, organs, emotions, and tones, as well as its goal to seek balance between them and the surrounding environment. At the center of these is the heart (心, Xīn), which the guqin most directly speaks to. By listening to and playing the qin, one is able to manipulate and manage the body’s vital energy (氣, Qì) and seek emotional and physiological harmony. “In my presentation, I will demonstrate this process by playing the Guqin and breaking down how the music is able to help one achieve such balance. I will also share a personal story of how the qin helped me in my own healing.”
Mark Johnson (Chinese name: 張叔夜, Zhāng ShūYè) is a retired technologist from the Media & Entertainment industry, specializing in media formats and audio technology. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1997 with a B.S. degree in Science, Technology & Culture, and an M.S. degree in Information Design & Technology. He went on to create software for the World Wide Web, DVD, Blu-ray, and eventually video streaming services, such as Netflix. He also co-authored several books along the way, including DVD Demystified, 3rd Ed. and High-Definition DVD Handbook, published by McGraw Hill. In 2016, while working for the audio technology company DTS, Mark had his first encounter with Guqin at a local store in Hacienda Heights, California. Despite a lack of musical background, he was immediately captivated. Over the next 48 hours he found and eagerly began consuming books by James Binkley and Juni Yeung: Abiding with Antiquity and Standards of the Guqin, respectively. Within two weeks, he had purchased his first guqin and found a teacher, Master Lui Pui-yuen (呂培原). Four years of diligent practice later, Master Lui encouraged him to begin teaching others. After an auspicious encounter with Master Yuan Jung Ping (袁中平) at his Taipei Qin Hall (臺北琴道) in the summer of 2024, he redoubled his efforts to perform, teach, and share his knowledge of the qin. In August 2024, while working as a Senior V.P. for Xperi Inc., Mark and his team of technology strategists were let go after several rounds of company downsizing. Four months later, he, his wife, and his two children lost their family home in Altadena to the Eaton Fire. They currently reside in a small apartment in Monrovia, as their home is being rebuilt. Despite the loss, these circumstances allowed Mark to retire early and fully commit himself to teaching guqin, both online and in-person, to anyone who would like to learn. Today, he has over a dozen students and performs monthly at The Huntington’s Flowery Brush Studio in the Chinese Garden and elsewhere. Website: https://www.changshuyeguqin.com E-mail: mark.johnson@changshuyeguqin.com
Music Interlude
Poetry Reading
Followed by Discussion Opening the Discussion will be All are invited to continue sharing thoughts on
until noontime
Finale
To conclude Susie will lead us in Richard King's favorite
Love Faith and Joy - Carol Soucek King, MFA, PhD, Founder For the time being, the Salon will continue to meet on Zoom. When appropriate, we will meet in person once again at Arroyo del Rey. For access to the Salon on Zoom: This meeting is being hosted by Zoom. Before the Salon on Sunday: If you download the application to your device, you do NOT need to register for a free account. To download the Zoom application, click on this link... https://zoom.us/download For any questions or assistance,
All 2026 Salon dates and themes STABILITY GROWTH POSSIBILITY FAITH GRATITUDE HARMONY UNDERSTANDING KINDNESS HUMOR LOVE HEALING SPIRITUALITY Please let us know which salons you can attend by replying to KingCarol@aol.com.
Carol
Soucek King, M.F.A., Ph. D. Arroyo del Rey Foundation 
As a California nonprofit recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization, the Foundation depends on the generosity of friends like you. Your gift — in any amount — directly supports the preservation of an irreplaceable work of architecture and the programs that bring it to life. Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. CA Register of Charities and Fundraisers B20250205941, FEIN #39-2498401 CAROL SOUCEK KING MFA, PhD © 2002-2026 All rights reserved
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Since January 1996, I have had the joy of gathering artists, thinkers, and friends from around the world for a conversation that has become one of the great blessings of my life. Our Salons are designed to stimulate creativity, curiosity, contemplation, and connection. Each month we explore a theme drawn from the chapters of my book, Under the Bridges at Arroyo del Rey, and welcome a guest whose life and work bring that theme to light.
