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Merry Tuba Christmas Returns

December 7, 2012 jlin

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Do you know what a tuba, sousaphone, baritone horn, and euphonium sound like? You will after attending the free Merry Tuba Christmas concert on Saturday, December 8, 2012 from 2 to 3 pm in Macy’s Court at the St. Louis Galleria. Nearly 120 professional and amateur musicians ranging in ages from 8 to 84 years old will dress in festive attire and perform holiday songs.

This signature event of the St. Louis Galleria has been presented for the last eleven years and is a great way to celebrate the Christmas season. The St. Louis holiday tuba concert is part of a worldwide celebration of the tuba coordinated by the “Tuba Christmas” organization (who is part of the nonprofit Harvey Phillips Foundation). Tuba Christmas was conceived in 1974 as a tribute to the late artist/teacher William J. Bell, born on Christmas Day, 1902. The first Tuba Christmas concert was conducted by the late Paul Lavalle in New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza Ice Rink on Sunday, December 22, 1974.

More information about other Tuba Christmas events throughout the world and how to participate.

Image: Music Zone

Arts & Culture for Kids

St. Louis Symphony & Circus Flora

December 5, 2012 jlin

Circus Flora performers including the high-wire walking Flying Wallendas, the St. Louis Arches, foot jugglers, and trained house cats join the world renowned St. Louis Symphony in holiday performances, December 14-16 at Powell Hall.

The concerts are based on Dylan Thomas‘s poem, “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” Alastair Willis conducts this entertaining concert with a circus twist. The performance is approximately two hours long with one intermission.

Friday, December 14, 2012 at 7 pm
Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 7 pm
Sunday, December 16, 2012 at 2 pm
Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis
Tickets $35 to $80

For more information or to purchase tickets by phone, call 314.534.1700.

Parking and directions to Powell Hall.

Photo: St. Louis Symphony

Arts & Culture for Kids

Free Children’s Opera: The Mini Ring

November 9, 2012 jlin

Union Avenue Opera presents The Mini Ring, arranged by Elise LaBarge and based on Wagner’s The Ring Cycle, on Saturday, December 1, 2012 at 1 pm, Union Avenue Opera, Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 North Union Boulevard, St. Louis. The performance is free and open to the public.

The vocalists will perform with piano accompaniment. Advance reservations are not required and doors open at 12:30 pm day of show. Street parking and a parking lot behind the church off Enright Avenue are available. The event is best for elementary and middle school aged youth (and all you caregivers who would like a taste of Wagner).

The event begins with an interactive lecture by Union Avenue Opera Education Coordinator, Stephanie Ball, who briefly will talk about opera’s history and influence. During the lecture, the children will be taught a leitmotif (a short recurring musical phrase associated with a particular person, place, or idea). Audience members are encouraged to sing the leitmotif when it is heard throughout the performance. The 45 minute Mini Ring production follows the lecture.

The Mini Ring Story

What would you do if one day you discovered a magical ring that made you the best at everything? Would you keep it a secret? Would you share it? Find out what happens when the head cheerleader, Flossy, the captain of the football team; Wotan, the exchange student; Siegfried, and some of their classmates at Valhalla High come upon such a ring and the decisions they make. Join them on an incredible journey as they discover that friendship and success are not earned by magic, but through kindness, humility, and hard work.

Artists

The Mini Ring features Joy Bolden (Brunhilde), Melissa Payton (Flossy), Nathan Ruggles (Fasolt), Tom Sitzler (Wotan), Clark Sturdevant (Siegfried), Philip Touchette (Alberich), and Sophia Hays (Erda). Vera Parkins is Music Director and Allyson Ditchey directs the cast.

For more information contact Union Avenue Opera at info@unionavenueopera.org or call 314.361.2881.

PHOTO: Baritone Tom Sitzler performs the role of Wotan in Union Avenue Opera’s The Mini Ring.

Arts & Culture Events for Preschoolers, Arts & Culture for Kids

Baby Got Bach event returns to St. Louis

October 26, 2012 jlin

Have you and your child experienced Baby Got Bach yet? This entertaining and high quality production returns to St. Louis on Saturday, November 24, 2012 at 10:30 am, Centene Plaza, 7700 Forsyth Road. Baby Got Bach is a classical music interactive event for 3 to 6 year olds founded by internationally known pianist Orli Shaham.

The first 30 minutes of Baby Got Bach features Backstage Up Front in the lobby area, where children can explore real instruments, learn about sound, and meet musicians from the St. Louis Symphony. Immediately following in the performance hall, audience members sing familiar songs, play rhythm sticks and small percussion instruments (this is a bit of the “get out the wiggles” portion of Baby Got Bach), and hear a chamber music concert. The concert portion features pianist Orli Shaham, St. Louis Symphony percussionist Thomas Stubbs, and other St. Louis Symphony musicians.

Music will include:

Johann Sebastian Bach: Invention in C Major

Beata Moon: The Curious Engine

Steve Reich: Clapping Music

Steven Mackey: Sneaky March (Read more about this composition’s origins.)

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Flight of the Bumblebee

Reservations

The Baby Got Bach performance is FREE, but advance reservations are strongly recommended. Online reservations can be made starting on Monday, November 12, 2012 at noon. All the spots for previous St. Louis performances were filled within one or two days, so be sure to plan ahead! Seating is limited. Walk-ins without reservations may be admitted, space permitting.

Tips

* Paid parking is available at the Centene Plaza garage. Street parking is free and fairly ample on Saturdays.

* The St. Louis Symphony, The Centene Charitable Foundation, and numerous individuals donate their time and funds to the nonprofit, Baby Got Bach. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Baby Got Bach.

* The program runs from 10:30 am to about 12:10 pm, so it is prime snack or lunch time for many young children. The format is casual, so feel free to take your child out to the lobby for a break or snack if she/he needs it.
* The concert will include music by living composers. This is a great opportunity to point out how all the music we hear everywhere in movies, television, commercials, games, etc… is written by someone and how kids can learn how to compose music too.

* Questions? Contact Baby Got Bach through their web site.

About Orli Shaham, Artistic Director, Host, and Pianist

Orli Shaham got an early start in her music career. She began playing piano at age four, and got her first music scholarship when she was five. Just a couple years later, she began her studies at The Juilliard School with Herbert Stessin. That was the beginning of a flood of prestigious performances and awards, launching her international career. Ms. Shaham has performed with many of the world’s great orchestras and has been lauded for her recitals at Carnegie Hall, the 92nd Street Y, and Lincoln Center, as well as many other renowned concert halls around the globe. Ms. Shaham has 5 year old twins Nathan and Alex and college-age stepsons Peter and Jonathan. She lives in St. Louis and New York with her husband, St. Louis Symphony music director David Robertson.

Photo by Jennifer Lin. Backstage Up Front at Baby Got Bach, with St. Louis Symphony cellist Bjorn Ranheim, February 2012.

Arts & Culture Events for Preschoolers, Arts & Culture for Kids, Dance

St. Louis Symphony Family Concerts

October 16, 2012 jlin

Do you want to introduce your child, friend, or relative to the world of classical music and the sounds of an orchestra? Are you just interested in learning about classical music from a world class symphony in an informal setting without a big ticket price? The St. Louis Symphony’s Family Concerts Series is for you.

The series kicked off in October with an entertaining performance of Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham, brought to life by the Really Inventive Stuff theater group. Be sure to experience the remaining Family Concert Series performances with your family (recommended age for children is 5 to 12, but mature preschoolers may be fine) or on your own. Performances are approximately 45 minutes to one hour long.

Have fun at the “Instrument Petting Zoo” in the Wightman Grand Foyer one hour prior to the concerts. Children can try out instruments from each of the music families. Symphony volunteers will be on hand to help in this very up close and personal musical experience. Kid friendly refreshments and drinks are also available at concessions.

FAMILY CONCERTS

Hip Hop Symphony
Presented in partnership with COCA (Center of Creative Arts)
Sunday, November 4, 2012 at 3 pm
Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103
Tickets $12 to $17

Learn about music form (e.g. canon, fugue, theme and variations) in this innovative program pairing hip hop choreography by COCA’s Redd Williams with classical favorites performed by the St. Louis Symphony. When the dancers take the stage, you’ll see the visual and physical representation of what you’re hearing.

Magical Movements: The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
DanceWorks Chicago, special guest artists
Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 3 pm
Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103
Tickets $12 to $17

Benjamin Britten’s classic The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra gets a new spin with the addition of dancers from DanceWorks Chicago. Watch as the orchestra comes together section by section before your eyes. This dynamic partnership makes for a magical experience where the whole is much larger than the sum of its parts. If you’re a fan of dance this is a great performance to see!

The Remarkable Farkle McBride, Based on the book by John Lithgow
Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 3 pm
Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103
Tickets $12 to $17

Poor Farkle McBride tries every instrument, but not one of them is quite right. Brian Owens narrates the popular children’s book by John Lithgow and illustrations from the book are projected on a screen behind the orchestra. Join Farkle McBride on a journey to find his place in the orchestra and learn about the different instrument families along the way. The first half of this concert features interactive performances by the St. Louis Symphony in which kids can clap and sing along!

Watch a video of John Lithgow narrating the book, The Remarkable Farkle McBride.

Buy your tickets online, call 314.534.1700, or visit the St. Louis Symphony box office in person at 718 N. Grand Blvd, St. Louis.

Photo: St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and COCA

Arts & Culture Events for Preschoolers, Arts & Culture for Kids, Dance

Arts events for families on October 7

October 4, 2012 jlin

What are you doing on Sunday, October 7, 2012? We are so lucky in St. Louis to have many quality, family friendly arts events to choose from this Sunday. Join in the fun and enjoy visual art, dance, jazz, or classical music!

Visual arts open studio at COCA
Sunday, October 7, 2012, 1 to 3 pm
524 Trinity Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63130
$8

Children (3+) explore collage, book art, watercolor, and paper maché under the guidance of COCA’s visual arts instructors. Children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult.

hip hOZ performance at COCA
Sunday, October 7, 2012 at 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm
524 Trinity Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63130
$16 to $20

COCA presents the world-premiere of this original production that takes audiences on a high energy, hip-hop adventure down the yellow brick road. Created by international hip-hop sensation, and COCA’s own, Redd Williams, hip hOZ features innovative choreography to mash-ups of classic and contemporary music. Tickets are almost sold out as of October 4, 2012.

Get Hip! Jazz St. Louis Youth Concert at Touhill Performing Arts Center
Sunday, October 7, 2012 at 2 pm
One University Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63121
FREE (no tickets needed)

Presented by Jazz St. Louis, Get Hip! is a fun, interactive introduction to jazz that illuminates the art form’s cultural origins, concepts about improvisation and creative self-expression, and explores the role and responsibility of each individual member of the jazz ensemble and how they all must work together. Instrument “petting zoo” and face painting begins at 1 pm in the lobby.

St. Louis Symphony Family Concert: Green Eggs and Ham at Powell Hall
Sunday, October 7, 2012 at 3 pm
718 North Grand Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63103
$12 to $17

This 45 minute interactive performance features a theme of “trying new things,” something everyone needs help with! The first half of the concert includes music by Copland, Reich, and Ives and encourages the audience to join in with clapping, rhythm patterns, and singing. The second half of the concert brings the famous book Green Eggs and Ham to life, with words by Dr. Seuss, music by Rob Kapilow, actor Michael Boudewyns, and soprano Kimberly Schroeder of the Really Inventive Stuff theater group.

Photo: Jazz St. Louis

Arts & Culture for Kids

Kids yoga class at Prana Yoga

September 29, 2012 jlin

Prana Yoga in Des Peres offers a fun yoga class designed for kids age 5 to 13 on Wednesdays at 4:30 pm. No prior yoga experience is necessary and mats are available for use during class or bring your own. The 45 minute session is $10 and caregivers can participate with their child as well. Be sure to wear clothes that are easy to move in.

Yoga instructors, Jessica Key of Mini Yoga STL, or Mara Bruce, create a friendly and dynamic atmosphere, filled with downward dog, wheel, cobra, hand stands against the wall, and much more. This yoga class is a great after school activity for kids (and Moms too!) to get some exercise, take some deep breaths, and regroup after a busy day.

Prana Yoga is a beautiful and thoughtfully designed yoga facility located at 11771 Manchester Road in Des Peres. The studio is beneath the Terra gift store in the Ace Hardware shopping plaza. Mary Jane Cusumano and Melanie Zuanich opened the studio in 2011 and have built an enthusiastic and dedicated yoga community.

Current Prana Yoga Schedule

Photo: Mini Yoga STL

Arts & Culture Events for Preschoolers

Creation Station is Open on Sundays

August 29, 2012 jlin

Pretend play, art projects, puzzles, mazes, toy cars, trains, and more are ready for your child (5 years old and under) to explore at the Creation Station, located inside the Visitor’s Center of the Museum of Transportation. The newly redesigned and light filled play room is now open on select Sundays in September, October, November, and December, in addition to regularly scheduled weekday sessions. The open play sessions are first come, first served, and last one hour. The Creation Station is wonderful for play dates as the space is just the right size to keep track of children and most activities encourage a variety of social interactions.

Fall Family Days

Sunday, September 2
Sunday, September 9
Sunday, September 30
Sunday, October 7
Sunday, October 21
Sunday, November 4
Sunday, November 18
Sunday, December 2
Sunday, December 16

Sunday session play times are: 11:15 am, 12:30 pm, 1:45 pm, and 3 pm

Weekday schedule (Call to confirm, 314.965.6212. As of this writing, the weekday play times will change again in November, but the schedule has not been confirmed yet.)

Now through September 8
Monday through Friday: 9:15 am, 10:30 am, 11:45 am, and an additional session at 1 pm on Thursdays only.

Starting September 9 (Fall Schedule)
Tuesday through Friday: 9:15 am, 10:30 am, 11:45 am, and an additional session at 1 pm on Thursdays only.

Admission Information

Admission to the Creation Station is extra, in addition to the general museum admission fee. The Creation Station is $2 per person per one hour play session. Ages 1 and older. Members may receive free Creation Station admission depending on their membership level. No reservations or pre-sales accepted.

Admission to the Museum of Transportation is: adults $8 (13 years old or older), children $5 (3 to 12 years old), and members are free.

Tips

* The earlier morning Creation Station play sessions tend to fill up quickly, so try to arrive 20 minutes or more before the session start time to secure your child’s spot.

* The snack bar offers reasonably priced pretzels, yogurt, cheese sticks, hot dogs, chips, sweets, juice boxes, and more.

* The miniature train that kids and their caregivers can ride around the museum grounds runs through November. Tickets are $4 per person, unlimited rides. Train schedule.

* Tickets to the museum, Creation Station, and train rides add up to a pricey visit rather quickly. If you think that you might visit the Creation Station and ride the miniature train more than two times during the year, consider becoming a member. Membership levels and benefits. Your membership gift is tax-deductible. Also, check with your workplace for any matching gift programs.

* The Creation Station is available for birthday parties on the weekends. Book early as many time slots are filled months in advance.

* Take some time to visit the old trains in the area above the Visitor’s Center. These trains offer great rambling and exploration opportunities for kids.

Photo: Jennifer Lin

Arts & Culture Events for Preschoolers