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Oberlin Music Coalition to Paint Musical Colors in Children's Concert Based on Dr. Seuss' "My Many Colored Days," Saturday, February 5, 2 P.M., Warner Concert Hall
"Musical Petting Zoo" Also Offered
Story by Michael Chipman
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"We hope our concert and 'musical petting zoo' will show children that music is a terrific way of expressing emotion. We also hope to illustrate how composers use music to paint pictures with sound," says Sarah Wass, a senior flute major from Buffalo, New York, and head of the OMC.
The children's concert, "My Many Colored Days," is slated for Saturday, February 5, 2:00 p.m. in Warner Concert Hall. Children (and adults) are invited to a pre-concert "Musical Petting Zoo" in the Warner Concert Hall lobby at 1:30 p.m. Both offerings are free and open to the public.
"My Many Colored Days," will include narration and introductions by Scott Mello, a junior voice major from Newton, New Jersey, and a collage of musical excerpts played by various orchestral musicians, conducted by Amitabh Rao, a senior conducting major from New Delhi, India. Each musical excerpt is intended to depict different emotions and colors.
"My Many Colored Days" is inspired by a Dr. Seuss book of
the same name. "My mom is a kindergarten teacher and I
bought the book for her as a gift," explains Wass. "A while
back we came across a video of a children's concert with the
Minnesota Orchestra with narration by Holly Hunter, and we
wanted to do a similar event, but on a much smaller
scale."
"So
many people connect to Dr. Suess. When I invited
people to play in the orchestra, all I had to do
was mention Dr. Seuss and they
agreed."
Wass chose the book "My Many Colored Days" as a springboard for the concert because its vivid illustrations connect colors to emotions. She and her colleagues aim to add a musical element to the story. "So many people connect to Dr. Seuss," says Wass. "When I invited people to play in the orchestra, all I had to do was mention Dr. Seuss and they agreed. People have an immediate connection with his stories."
Wass and Rao together researched and found a diverse selection of three- to four-minute excerpts from various works to accompany the description of each "colored day." Some of the excerpts include the first tableau from "Petroushka" by Stravinsky, parts of the Mendelssohn violin concerto, Bartok's concerto for orchestra, and a section of "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" by Debussy, among others.
In addition to the concert, Wass and her OMC colleagues plan to introduce the program to kindergarten and first grade students in Oberlin schools through outreach offerings. "We will read the book to them and play a few of the selections, then have the kids draw the emotion or the color they feel the music represents," says Wass.
Those seeking a more hands-on "feel" for the music they will hear in the concert are invited to attend the pre-concert "Musical Petting Zoo." The zoo "animals" will consist of Conservatory musicians demonstrating the sounds and functions of their instruments for zoo visitors.
About the Oberlin Music Coalition
The Oberlin Music Coalition is a student-organized outreach program now celebrating its fifth year. It was founded by Conservatory students who sought to create and nurture new musical relationships and opportunities among Conservatory students and area school children. "It is very important for children to have an early experience with live classical music that really grabs their attention, so that they can learn to appreciate it," says Wass. "That appreciation will grow with age and they will become educated audience members in the future."
The Coalition offers workshops, private lessons and an annual concert. All OMC events are free and open to the public. For more information, please call the OMC at (440) 775-8293.
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