Hey there, Musicians and Parents,
Happy New Year.
2006 was an eventful and evolutionary year at Bird. There were lots of notes played,
many smiles smiled and infinite connections made to things musical. Thanks to all of
you for helping to make it an enjoyable place for everyone.
Here are a few things we will be keeping ourselves busy with this New Year:
· Building bands. This was one of the most enjoyable and therefore
effortless progressions that has been evolving since the Bird opened its doors in
July 2005. What has been made obvious is that children (and adults) can and will thrive
in the midst of a few things to bang on or strum. Watching kids combine their talents
to rehearse and perform on the big garage stage is nothing short of inspirational.
Even though they get predictably better with each performance, it is equally touching
to see new faces take confident places on the stage as it is to watch "seasoned" players
embark on new challenges with unfamiliar instruments and/or foreign material. With the
completion of our construction, we now have space and time slots for more groups. The
phones are ringing and we can all expect to see some new faces at the ping pong table,
on the stage and at our upcoming concerts this year. Next show, The Music of Sun Studios,
February 11, 2007.
· Concert series. Concerts featuring well-known and/or deserving-of-acclaim artists that will benefit
our community, students, the performer and the musical arts. Subscribe to a year's worth of
monthly shows at Bird and not only provide yourself with unexpected entertainment but also
facilitate the inception of a much needed tuition/scholarship fund for gifted students who wish
to pursue further musical studies. These intimate gatherings will feature talented artists whose
work has inspired both musicians and laypersons alike. Look for a complete line-up and ticket
information in March.
· Private lessons. We will continue to work on our "technical soul training."
The goal is setting our students up for playing success, stressing the importance of developing
good technique geared toward a lifetime of making maximum sound with minimum physical effort.
· Musicians' yoga. Fridays at 10am beginning February 2, a class specifically
designed for career musicians. We'll share information and work on all the best stretches and
movements geared toward keeping the performer in top performing shape. I'm sure this class
will be great for computer users as well. As the group and the talent grow we'll feature a live
performer in each class.
· Continued dance and movements clinics. Join us in our next two on January 20
and 27. We are having a blast getting to know our San Francisco dance community and will offer more
clinics as well as upcoming dance sessions that run concurrently with Bird concert sessions.
Continue to watch the website for schedule additions and changes. New clinics and programs will
surface from time to time so be aware and be willing to exercise your curiosity.
Best,
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Auditions: Auditions for "Sting, Fields of Gold," a collaboration with American Conservatory Theatre's
Young Conservatory, will take place on March 19, 2007. We're looking for a band to back up the
actor/singers presenting this World Premiere musical hitting the Zeum stage in June 2007. For those
of you who saw the Beatles show, you'll know what a great alliance this is and the potential it
holds for the serious musician. Not for the faint of heart or the lethargic, rehearsals begin twice
weekly in March and April. The show opens in June (dates TBD) and runs Wednesdays through Sundays.
Session III bands will rehearse and perform songs from the Police catalogue.
Dance: Dance January 20 with Kalliope Kalombratsos, whose classes emphasize contemporary movement
vocabulary as a fundamental basis for strength, technical skill and spatial variation. On January 27
our instructor will be Ashley Holladay, who focuses on the union of body and mind via the breath, expanding
and challenging both.
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