SIMI VALLEY — The New West Symphony premiered "The Ronald Reagan Overture" in Simi Valley, California, as part of a concert marking the country's 250th anniversary. The National Endowment for the Arts awarded a $25,000 grant for the overture.

The overture incorporates excerpts from the soundtrack of the 1942 film King's Row, which starred Ronald Reagan. It also features audio from Reagan's 1987 speech encouraging Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. Michael Christie, the music director of the New West Symphony, stated, "Stirring patriotism on America's birthday: That is a solid message." He added, "I'm proud of it."

The performance included a display of Ronald Reagan's Air Force One suspended above the audience. Approximately 600 people attended the event. Audience member Theresa Brunasso said, "It reaches out to your heart. It touches you inside and out." She added, "And it makes you so proud to be an American."

The National Endowment for the Arts also awarded 50 grants to various cultural groups for the creation of artworks intended for the National Garden of American Heroes. The organization indicated that the 250th anniversary provides an opportunity to celebrate the nation's artistic heritage and cultural legacy. Melissa Giller, a spokesperson for the Reagan Foundation, commented on Reagan's political philosophy, stating, "He really believed in bipartisanship, always believed in reaching across the aisle."

David Lubin, a retired professor, discussed themes of patriotism, noting two prevalent perspectives. One, he explained, is a sentiment of "'My country, right or wrong,' that America is the greatest place on the face of the earth." Lubin identified a second perspective as "the patriotic emotion of, 'We can do better. And it's our mission in life to keep hewing to the ideals of the origins of the country.'"