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Benefit Concert for After School Arts Program
A full evening is planned on Saturday, March 1 as an array of musical talent performs at the Shepaug Valley High School auditorium, 159 South St. in Washington, starting at 7:30 p.m. This third annual benefit concert for the After School Arts Program (ASAP) features Grammy-nominated cellist David Darling, gold recording guitarist Joe Bouchard, master percussionist John Marshall, and the brilliant new Gotham5. Students will participate in the performance, and an exhibit of student artwork created in ASAP workshops will be on display in the lobby.
Maverick cellist, composer, teacher and improvisational artist David Darling was nominated for a Grammy Award for his 2001 CD Cello Blue. Among Mr. Darling's extensive performances and recordings, he has collaborated with the Paul Winter Consort, Bobby McFerrin, Spyro Gyra, Arlo Guthrie, Jan Garbarek, Terje Rypdal, the Nickolais-Lewis Dance Theater and Pilobolus. His film credits include music for Jean-Luc Godard's classic Nouvelle Vague, the 1996 movie Heat, and The Insider. Mr. Darling contributed to the book Open Ears: Musical Adventures for a New Generation, a compilation of writings by diverse musicians including Paul McCartney, Pete Seeger and Mickey Hart.
As former bassist with Blue Oyster Cult, Joe Bouchard acquired nine gold and two platinum recordings, and toured widely. BOC opened shows all over the U.S. for groups such as Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and many more. After 16 years with BOC, Mr. Bouchard turned to other pursuits, which have included teaching, recording and performing with other musicians, and writing educational music books. His own song "Astronomy" appears on the Metallica CD Garage Inc, which has gone five times platinum. Mr. Bouchard is actively teaching at regional private schools, and performs in the tri-state area.
Master percussionist John Marshall performs in many venues both nationally and internationally, and his music includes the drumming traditions of the Middle East, South India, Egypt, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Central Asia. He has performed and recorded with such artists as the Paul Winter Consort, Michael Brecker, Glen Velez, Rhonda Larson, Danny Gottleib, Paco Pena, David Darling, Benjamin Verdery, Marc Antony and George Benson. Mr. Marshall pioneered a world music curriculum at the high school level, teaches Middle Eastern hand drumming techniques, and currently tours with the group Ufonia.
Five young Juilliard-trained performers are dedicated to changing the way classical music is presented and perceived. Their group Gotham5 has gained a following in Manhattan by stretching the confines of traditional concert formats, and creating an experience for their audiences that is relevant, engaging and fun.
The objectives of the After School Arts Program are based on the underlying belief that the arts have an intrinsically valuable role to play in the education of our children. Integration of the arts into our daily lives has been identified by educators, sociologists, psychologists and parents as highly beneficial, promoting a balanced, more stimulating view of life in our increasingly complex society. Not surprisingly, a student's enthusiasm for the arts often finds its way into other areas of learning.
In June 1999, the Waterbury Foundation provided a grant for a period of three years to create a badly needed after-school arts program for the students of Region 12. Three different levels of programming are offered to students in grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 who reside in the towns of Bridgewater, Roxbury or Washington. Workshops include art, dance, drama, documentary film, juggling, music, performance art, photography, playwriting and the art and craft of filmmaking. Classes are held at the Booth Free, Burnham, Washington Primary, Shepaug and The Gunnery schools; and at Washington Club Hall, Washington Art Association, and Bantam Cinema. Also, field trips to artists' studios, museums, galleries and professional theater performances are an integral part of this year's program.
Although ASAP is an after-school arts program, all schools in and around Region 12 are notified about ASAP and given the opportunity to schedule "in-school" events with ASAP's artists whenever possible. This year ASAP has made it possible for over 3,000 children to experience and benefit from in-school and after-school arts programs.
Tickets for the ASAP concert are on sale at Hickory Stick Bookshop in Washington Depot; Workshop, Inc. on the Green in Litchfield; Northlight Framing at Lore's Plaza in New Milford; and Bank Street Coffee House in New Milford. Tickets are $25 general, $15 students, $50 reserved, and $100 for reserved seating, a listing in the program and a dinner reception with musicians after the show. For more info call 860-868-2071.
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