The Arts

ProMusica joins Gavilan Peak

‘Family Fun Fables and Tall Tales’ presented May 16-17

by Focus Staff

NORTH VALLEY – Wowing nearly 100 grade school students – all at one time – is no easy task.

However, ProMusica Arizona’s Cathy Woodward and her French horn are up to the challenge.

She and other PMAZ instrumentalists are preparing Gavilan Peak School third graders to perform with PMAZ in their next concerts May 16-17 at Boulder Creek High School.

“That's so cool,” “Wow!,” and “How did you do that?” were the words of the day as more than 95 students at Gavilan Peak were mesmerized by members of ProMusica Arizona Orchestra demonstrating their musical instruments.

PMAZ Assistant Director Woodward played her French horn and explained that if the curled tubes on the French horn were straightened out they would stretch more than 26 feet, eliciting a “way cool” from the kids.

Woodward noted that in the musical story “Peter and the Wolf,” the sound of the French horn represents the wolf and people can follow the action of the wolf's character by listening for the French horn.
Kevin Kozacek, PMAZ artistic director, and his artistic staff have been working with the third-graders four times a week for the past six weeks teaching a special music segment in the “Right Brain Train” program, an arts partnership outreach effort through the Arts Council of the North Valley.

“I arranged six of the most popular of ‘Aesop’s Fables in Songs’ for this workshop since kids are drawn to the easily understood stories, messages, and morals that are taught in verse,” Kozacek said. “Our instrumentalists from PMAZ introduced students to the various sounds made by a flute, horn, and strings and their significance in telling a story. In addition, the workshops gave the young singers a chance to sing with orchestral instrument accompaniment and choral vocal backup."

All of the third-graders participating in these workshops are invited to sing in PMAZ’s concerts “Family Fun Fables and Tall Tales.”
This family-friendly concert is the perfect chance for parents and grandparents to introduce children to orchestra and choral music linked to children’s classic literature.

In addition to the six Aesop's Fables, some of the musical selections will be from “Alice In Wonderland.”

The second half of the concert will feature the PMAZ orchestra performing the “William Tell Overture” (popularly known as the theme from the ‘Lone Ranger’) and Prokofiev's “Peter and the Wolf.”
Special guest narrator for “Peter and the Wolf” will be Anthem resident Jon Meyer, who brings wide-ranging onstage experience from around the country to his role as narrator.

He has performed works ranging from Shakespeare to Pinter, including lead roles in “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Idiot's Delight,” “The Diviners,” and “Our Town.”

 PMAZ's Brass Ensemble will entertain in the lobby pre-concert and at intermission playing such fun favorites as “George of the Jungle,” “SpongeBob Squarepants” and some Louis Prima songs like “Jump, Jive an' Wail.”

This is an opportunity for kids and adults to get a very up close and personal view of the instrumentalists while playing.
The concerts will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 16 and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 17 at the Boulder Creek High School Performing Arts Center in Anthem.

Tickets start at $15 for adults and $10 for students. They can be purchased at the Anthem Community Center, Andrew Z Diamonds and Fine Jewelry, Chase Bank in Anthem Crossroads and Deer Valley Credit Union on Anthem Way.

Tickets are also available online at promusicaaz.org. Call (623) 465-4650.