Connecting students with artists
November was a great month for local students to connect with internationally known artists and professionals appearing at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel.
When singer-songwriter Jon McLaughlin was in town for two performances at the Tarkington theater, he took a morning off to visit music students at Noblesville High School, where the jazz program has earned national attention. This masterclass covered not only music itself, but also various aspects of life as a working artist, including the importance of showing up on time, the value of hanging out with other musicians, and tips to push past bouts of writer’s block.
Just days later, Grammy-winning trumpeter and composer Chris Botti participated in the Center’s FrontRow program, conducting a Q&A with music students from Butler and Indiana Wesleyan universities in advance of his performance at the Palladium. The topics included his childhood decision to pursue the trumpet after seeing Doc Severinsen play on TV, his studies with the acclaimed faculty at Indiana University and his experiences playing with artists such as Paul Simon. After the chat, Botti took time to pose for a photo with each of the students.
Also this month, the Center presented the first of three events for local students featuring experts from National Geographic. Globe-trotting marine photographer Brian Skerry discussed his encounters with ocean life in Secrets of the Whales, which was presented as an evening show Nov. 15 for folks of all ages but also as a free student matinee earlier that day, attended by hundreds of schoolkids at the Palladium.
If your school or homeschool group is looking for field trip opportunities, upcoming student matinees with the National Geographic Live presenters include T. Rex Rises with paleontologist Lindsay Zanno on Feb. 21 and Untamed with filmmaker and conservationist Filipe DeAndrade on April 25. And if the cost of transportation is a hindrance, the Center has a new, donor-supported transportation grant program designed to help cover those expenses.
Saturday morning fun for kids
In keeping with tradition, both shows are pretty much sold out for the next Faegre Drinker Peanut Butter & Jam event for kids ages 1 to 7, the annual Holiday Cabaret on Strings with Melchior Marionettes on Dec. 10. If you don’t score the last seats in time, there’s always next month.
Jan. 7 will see the return of Silly Safaris with the seasonally appropriate Animals of the North Pole, featuring live appearances by mammals (including a reindeer), reptiles and even insects who thrive in frigid weather. Can they withstand January in Indiana? Buy tickets and find out!
Upcoming education events
Holiday Cabaret on Strings with Melchior Marionettes
Faegre Drinker Peanut Butter & Jam
Dec. 10 at 10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
The Studio Theater
Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas by Ace Collins
Palladium Bookies
Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m.
The Palladium
Animals of the North with Silly Safaris
Faegre Drinker Peanut Butter & Jam
Jan. 7 at 10:30 a.m.
The Studio Theater