Bach’s Annual Birthday Bash
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Each spring around March 21, dozens of young people play their musical tributes to the birthday of composer Johann Sebastian Bach, in a series of concerts organized by the Junior Bach Society. For Pleasanton pianist Christine Xu (14 years old) who has participated since the 4th grade, he’s one of her favorite composers. “I have been interested in Bach since I was very young. I always liked the stately but powerful sound of the music,” she says. “He conveys inner feelings that other composers don’t.”
It is quite an honor to be chosen to perform at the Festival. This year, 230 musicians auditioned and 99 are playing in eight different concerts from March 18-27. The repertoire is, you guessed it, all Bach; solos and chamber music, played on mostly string instruments and piano, but also guitar and marimba, flute, and organ. Xu will play Variations 1-16 of the Goldberg Variations, a work notorious for its depth and difficulty. “Its really a challenge,” she says. “At first the notes don’t seem hard, but getting the feeling right is very difficult. I like how each variation has a unique personality.” The Junior Bach Festival offers kids the opportunity to perform and also to learn from each other’s performances. Come hear Xu and these extraordinary kids. Full details here
The Doctor is In
Every parent knows that picking music for his or her tot is important. Since it will be playing on the car stereo nonstop for the next year, you’d better like it too. Meet Cory Cullinan, aka Doctor Noize, whose grooving drive combines elements of jazz, pop, intricate vocals, and silly lyrics — all of which add up to a genre he calls “family music.” During his live shows he is a one-man band; he sings and plays guitar, keyboard, percussion, saxophone, and kazoo. And in a flurry of technological creativity, he uses the computer to compose and arrange these instruments, live onstage. His hit record, The Ballad of Phineas McBoof, introduces engaging characters that have spun off into his multimedia project, The Banana Project, teaching about music fundamentals in a fun way.
A former Pinewood High School music teacher, Cullinan earned a music degree at Stanford. His daughters encouraged him to quit his day job after being inspired by another family performer, Andy Z. He hopes to encourage his fans to learn about various styles of music, not just pop. “I listen to and love a very wide range of music. Always have,” says the Doctor. “That’s why I don’t write in a genre that can be pinned down. I am obsessed with experiencing diverse musical influences.” Here he sites Mahler, Shostakovich, and Stravinsky along with the Beatles and Sting as his heros. Get your dancing shoes on, Doctor Noize presents two concerts at the Palo Alto Children’s Theater on March 30 and more in the Bay Area!
Crowden School Tours Scandinavia
Seventh and eighth grade students at Berkeley’s Crowden School are getting their papers in order, along with their repertoire! They’ll be touring Scandinavia from April 3–12, funded by a generous gift from the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation. Tour destinations were chosen with the aid of San Francisco Symphony Chorus director Ragnar Bohlin, who hails from Sweden and has two children that attend Crowden. The whole family will unite in Lund, as Bohlin’s mother, esteemed choral conductor Eva Bohlin, will lead her groups to perform for her grandkids and their friends.
The Crowden School sends students on such musical adventures every two years. Previous destinations have included Italy, New Zealand, England, and Sweden, as well as the American East Coast and South West. Preparations are also a treat; visiting artist Mads Tolling, two-time Grammy winning violinist of Turtle Island String Quartet, is here to coach the Crowden orchestra on his composition Danish Dessert, which they will perform on tour. We wish them bon voyage.