Sunday, January 18, 2009

Fun at the Fred begins with All-Star Lineup for 2009 Summer Concerts

Series Renewals begin January 26

The Fred will be rockin’ this summer with the songs you know and love showcasing beach music, country, pop, rock and more. The Fred, a 2500 seat outdoor amphitheater in Peachtree City will host a six concert series that will span May – August featuring a variety of music that will span the decades .

The six concert series schedule includes the following all-star lineup:

May 1 & 2 Kenny Loggins From Loggins & Messina classics like “Danny’s Song” to signature solo tracks including “Celebrate Me Home” and the Grammy-winning “This Is It”, Kenny Loggins expansive body of work speaks volumes with its warmth and directness.

June 5, 6 Leann Rimes Always mature beyond her age, she earned two Grammy Awards for “Blue”, her 1996 major label debut. Certified multi-platinum, the album has sold 8 million copies and the title track remains one of her signature songs. She followed that impressive bow with a series of best-selling albums and hit singles, (23 total for a combined sales of 15 million units) like the chart-topping “How Do I Live,” the longest running single on the Billboard Hot 100 and “Can’t Fight the Moonlight.”

June 26 & 27 The Beach Boys featuring Mike Love and Bruce Johnston The Beach Boys first rode the waves of success in 1961 with their regional debut hit “Surfin.” By 1996 they had emerged as one of America’s top pop groups by releasing eleven top-10 singles in five year. They were made popular with hits like “Fun, Fun, fun,” “I Get Around,” Help Me Rhonda,” “California Girls” and “Good Vibrations.”

July 17 & 18 The Spinners The Spinners have always made music that is at once timeless and also utterly in tune with the times. They possess a classic group sound and approach which never loses its universal appeal. In the past years they have acquired twelve gold records with their hits climbing to the top of both the pop and R&B charts. A partial list of their songs is “Then Came You”, “Rubberband Man”, “Games People Play” and “I’ll Be Around”.

August 14, 15 Hippiefest featuring Flo and Eddie of the Turtles, Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night, Brewer and Shipley, Felix Cavaliere of the Rascals and Joey Molland of Badfinger. This three-hour show is jam-packed with talent that will appeal to a wide audience including those who experienced the era as well as those who came later only got to experience the intrigue.

August 21 & 22 Peter Cetera As the lead singer and bassist of Chicago, Cetera wrote some of the biggest hits of the rock and pop music era including “If You Leave Me Now,” “Baby What a Big Surprise,” “You’re the Inspiration,” “Stay the Night,” “Feeling Stronger Every Day,” and “Hard To Say I’m Sorry”.

The price for a series ticket, (all six concerts) is $240 per person for reserved seating and $300 for Gold Seating. A limited number of Picnic Tables are available for $1800 for the series and Gold Tables are $3,000. Existing series ticket holders will be able to renew their tickets from January 26-February 20. New series tickets will go on sale to the public on Saturday, March 7 at the Fred Box Office from 9 a.m – 12 pm. Individual tickets will be available for purchase beginning March 14. For information about how to order tickets call 770-631-0630. Payment may be made by cash, check or credit card.

Four additional spotlight concerts will be announced by the end of January, which will target various demographic audiences and genres of music. These spotlight concerts will be one night performances only and will be scheduled throughout the season. Additionally, The Fred will host a number of community events throughout the summer including “Flicks at the Fred”, “50’s Family Sock Hop” and “Open Mic” nights. A full schedule of events is expected to be released by the first week of February.

The Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater is owned by the City of Peachtree City and operates under the Department of Leisure Services. For further information about the 2009 Summer Concert Series, call 770-631-0630 or visit www.amphitheater.org.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Chicago Jazz Ensemble Comes to Carrollton January 24

Jazz enthusiasts will be dazzled by the second annual “Live Art at the Townsend Center” event featuring The Chicago Jazz Ensemble starring Jon Faddis on Saturday, Jan. 24.

The 21-member Chicago Jazz Ensemble consists of musicians with national recognition, acclaimed Columbia College Chicago faculty and some of the city’s most talented artists. Faddis, conductor, composer and educator known for his intense integrity and humor, was formerly the artistic director of the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band.

The Chicago Jazz Ensemble’s mission is to represent, preserve and promote the innovative traditions of American orchestral Jazz music. Founded in 1965 by distinguished composer and conductor William Russo, the ensemble entered a new phase in its history with the appointment of trumpet virtuoso Faddis as its artistic director.

Faddis has a 30-year history of performing and collaborating with the world’s foremost Jazz artists, including Dizzy Gillespie and Lionel Hampton. Faddis earned accolades from his close friend and mentor Gillespie, who declared of Faddis, “He’s the best ever, including me!” As a trumpeter, Faddis possesses a virtually unparalleled range, making the practically impossible seem effortless.

Also appearing in Carrollton with this elite group of musicians will be Ignacio Berroa, recognized by many as one of the greatest drummers of our times. Known as the “Afro-Cuban drumming maestro,” Berroa’s numerous contributions to the American music scene has earned him a place among a very selective group of artists known to have set new musical trends for the 20th century.

“Live Art at the Townsend Center,” which started in 2008, was a successful venture into increasing artistic opportunities for UWG and the Carrollton community. Michelle Morgan, Susan Fleck and Claire Cooley, co-chairs of the upcoming Live Art event, said the gala once again brings critically acclaimed artists to the area.

“Each year, we hope to raise the bar of cultural options in the West Georgia region,” Fleck said. “We’re hoping to duplicate the success of Ballet Memphis last year. It was such a positive event and everyone was on such a high. We want to keep it that way and build on that enthusiasm.”

UWG jazz musicians, jazz musicians from the local schools, private schools, homeschools, etc. and adult jazz musicians from the surrounding communities may register to participate in a 90-minute workshop conducted by Faddis at 2:30 p.m. in the third-floor Humanities Building Band Room. Interested individuals may call the Townsend Center for details.

Two ticket options are available. Individual tickets for the performance only are $42 and are available at the Townsend Center Box Office, 678-839-4722. “Opening Night Club” membership includes two tickets to the performance, valet parking, VIP pre-performance and intermission reception in the Dangle Theater, two tickets to the cast party following the performance featuring “A Blast” band and a Chicago inspired menu, plus appearances by Faddis and the Ensemble. These tickets are $150 per person and are available by contacting Erin Henderson at erinh@westga.edu.

The donor reception in the Dangle Theatre begins at 6:15 p.m., the theatre doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m.

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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Peachtree City Church to Swing to Peachtree Jazz

First Presbyterian Church of Peachtree City will be hosting the Peachtree Jazz Edition in concert on Saturday, January 31 at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. This is the fourth concert as part of the church’s 2008-2009 Concert Series season.

Peachtree Jazz Edition is heralded as one of the best jazz bands in Atlanta. This group features an 18-piece band comprised of talented musicians from the greater-Atlanta area. They will have you moving to the rhythm of the hits from the Big Band era of the ‘30s and ‘40s, and popular jazz tunes. This jazz ensemble will perform original arrangements from artists such as Frank Sinatra, Glen Miller, and Natalie Cole, as well as original tunes written by band trombonist and Fayetteville resident Bill Greenhaw.

This concert is free to the community. A love offering will be taken with part of the proceeds going to support the church’s missions program. Childcare will be available for children ages 4 and younger.

First Presbyterian Church is located in Peachtree City at 206 Willowbend Rd. across from the library and city hall. For more information, please call (770) 487-7757 or email concerts@firstpresptc.com.

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Nintendo’s Wii Music Strikes a Chord with Music Educators

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nintendo’s new Wii Music™ game is spreading from the family room to the classroom, thanks to newly formed collaborations with select schools and educators. To help inspire students and promote an active appreciation for music, Nintendo is working with teachers to incorporate Wii™ consoles and Wii Music software into their lesson plans to offer teachers a unique tool for creativity and improvisation.

Nintendo’s collaborators in this effort include MENC: The National Association for Music Education, which is recognized as the world’s largest arts education organization and as a teaching resource for all levels from preschool to graduate school. MENC will help teachers in 51 cities across the nation integrate Wii Music into their curricula, making use of the game’s 60-plus instruments and fun array of tutorial exercises in rhythm, tempo and song structure.

“The goal of Wii Music is to inspire people of all ages to enjoy music,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “By partnering with educators and bringing Wii Music into their classrooms, we hope to give students a memorable, hands-on experience that helps them discover their own creative voice.”

The Wii console’s motion-sensing controls allow Wii Music users at any experience level to step up and jam, whether playing solo or as part of a group. Using the wireless Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™ controllers, players make simple, intuitive movements to strum a guitar, play a trumpet or bang a drum.

“At any grade level, it’s essential to provide students with the tools and encouragement they need to be creative,” said John J. Mahlmann, executive director of MENC. “We look forward to collaborating with Nintendo to drive awareness and advocacy for music education through Wii Music.”

Some teachers already have begun to incorporate Wii Music into their lesson plans.

“Wii Music has brought a renewed excitement to music class for students from first grade to fifth, myself and even some of the classroom teachers,” said Helen A. Krofchick, a music teacher at Doby’s Mill Elementary School in Lugoff, S.C. “I love how many music standards can be covered in such a short time. Students also have to use language skills, spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination. We have a school very supportive of the arts and Wii Music has empowered our program even more. Any system that is educational and can add a love of music to children’s lives should be in every classroom.”

Other collaborating and partner organizations currently include San Francisco’s Blue Bear School of Music and New York’s Opus 118 Harlem School of Music. Teachers in these programs will use Wii Music to build students’ familiarity with technology while bolstering their ability to create and improvise. Experts in the field of music say getting kids interested in music at an early age can help build a lifelong appreciation.

“The joy of playing music is something that should be experienced by everyone, regardless of age, talent-level or experience,” said Joe Lamond, President & CEO of NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants. “Research shows that more than 82 percent of people who don’t currently play a musical instrument wish they did. Wii Music can help address this by providing a positive introduction for millions of people who might not otherwise be inclined to try.”

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com. For more information about Wii Music, visit www.WiiMusic.com.

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