11 Days 'Till Showtime!

Our season kicks off in less than two weeks and we are busy putting together the final touches. We’ve had shipments arriving all week – program books, t-shirts, toys, and other surprises for our concerts. Gary has been hard at work in the Pavilion staining benches and painting fixtures. New flowers arrived, and our grounds crew is making the park beautiful for your evening picnics. The tent is up and Steamboat Meat and Seafood is ready to serve you dinner.

With all the pre-season work going on around here, we’re hoping that you’ll take a moment to stop by to check out the scene and buy some tickets. Don’t forget that the Strings coupon in the local coupon book expires July 1, so come buy your 20% off ticket before it’s too late!

Angela Cheng and Alvin Chow

Our next online ticket deal will start Monday June 13 at 9AM. Get two tickets for the price of one to see Cheng and Chow conquer two pianos simultaneously and fit four hands on one piano. You might mistake the amount of sound for a full size orchestra! The concert is on Wednesday July 13 at 7:00PM. Ticket cost is $40.

New Works Festival This Week

Strings isn’t the only one who’s thought of making music in these mountains. The Perry Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp has hosted performances for 98 years. Today begins the annual New Works Festival, which connects artists from many backgrounds to create original works of art.

Like Strings, Perry Mansfield is an integral part of our artistic community and developing young performers. During the summer, students attend workshops and work personally with professional dancers, directors, musicians, composers, writers, and actors. Famous faces such as Jessica Biel, Dustin Hoffman, and Stephen Schwartz have lingered in this serene mountain valley to perfect their skills and pass on their wisdom.

As residents of a rural western town, we don’t have the opportunity to view performances in their raw stages, as we would if we lived in New York City. The New Works Festival lets us experience a fresh performance in a natural setting, juxtaposing city culture with country living. Many of these snippets will later become fully formed plays and we can witness the transformation of a fleeting idea to a full production. The rehearsals are free and open to the public and take place all week long. The shows are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and are $15 for stage readings and $20 for the dance performance. For a full schedule of events click here.

Buy Now!

 $20 ticket for Dala

Saturday July 9 at 8:00PM, Strings Music Pavilion
Visit our website TODAY ONLY for discounted ticket price, while supplies last. Discounts valid on a limited number of tickets, so be the first to buy!

” [Dala]..make some beautiful harmonies on these hook-laden, lyrically impressive tracks. Transportingly ethereal singers, the Dala gals can work up some powerful emotions, make a religion out of lonely introspection and even crack the occasional Canada joke.”
- L.A. Times

As Canadian folk singers, Dala has won audiences over with their rich harmonies and infectious performances. Be prepared to be completely captivated by the blend of Amanda Walther’s soprano and Sheila Carabine’s alto voices. Check out Girls from the North Country, a live concert weaving original songs and classics, that won Dala the 2010 Canadian Folk Music Award for “Vocal Group of the Year.”

Spotlight On You

Looking to play some music tonight? Join host Jay Roemer at The Boathouse Pub for open mic night. Starting at 8:00PM, local performing artists come together in a warm, supportive setting to play for an audience, rather than just their pets. Music, comedy, poetry, anything that can be performed in a microphone, is welcome.

The event is free and open to the public. Anyone under 21 is requested to register before 8:00PM, and any performer over 21 receives free beer. Come support our local up and coming Steamboat musicians or surprise us with your own hidden talents.

Lady Gaga: A New Definition of Musical Worth

Yesterday, newspapers around the country covered Lady Gaga’s record breaking album sale of Born This Way. Of the 1,108,000 album copies sold in the first week, 440,000 sold on Amazon.com for only 99 cents. We’ve known since the creation of Napster that the music industry would face enormous changes and it seems we’ve reached a pinnacle. If Lady Gaga can sell her newest album for only 99 cents, how many others will follow suit to try to break her record?

These days, artists profit most through concert tours, promotions, ad campaigns, etc., not from album sales. Access to free music on websites such as YouTube and Pandora has certainly decreased record sales. It seems that artist goals to increase fan numbers are out of sync with record companies trying to stay alive.

The controversy on what music is worth:

Ish Cuebas, vice president for music merchandising of Trans World Entertainment, says in the New York Times, “I can understand what Amazon did, but I think it devalues music even further. In the customer’s mind it’s worth 99 cents.”

Lady Gaga herself tells the Wall Street Journal that she doesn’t think her own album in digital form is worth more than 99 cents.

Do you think access to low-cost or free albums devalues music? Share your thoughts below.

Watch Glee Tonight in Steamboat

Steamboat Springs’ Middle School students have created their own production of Glee! Described by middle schooler McKendry as an “exaggerated realistic” plot, the film puts a local spin on the popular TV series. As the Glee Season Finale aired on Tuesday, today’s Steamboat showing is right on cue.

Students created characters, wrote the script and picked pop songs to emphasize key moments in the storyline. We love to see student involvement in music and film, especially when they can use their own creativity to take ownership of a production.

Sponsored by the Steamboat Springs Arts Council, the film will air tonight at 7:00PM at the middle school. Read more in the SteamboatToday. 

Did you attend the showing? Share your thoughts below.

Promoting Music in Steamboat Springs Schools

Simon Boyar and Jim Knapp during Rehearsal

During the first week of May, Strings Music Festival brought marimba player Simon Boyar to Steamboat Springs to perform with eight local school groups. Over the course of the week, Simon rehearsed with each group at the schools and at the Strings Pavilion, where students took field trips to watch their peers perform. The program concluded with two nights of performances, just about filling the house with friends, family members, teachers and other supporters of young musicians.

Students Arriving at the Pavilion for Field Trips

But Strings School Days is more than just a weeklong event. In May of 2010, Simon met with all the groups. After getting a feel for each group, he decided to write original pieces specifically for the Christian Heritage Choir, the Lowell Whiteman Primary School String Orchestra, the 7^th Grade Percussion Ensemble and the Yampa Valley Select Band. Simon visited Steamboat Springs again in January to see how the ensembles sounded and to give them notes for the May concerts.

At the shows, Simon expressed his gratitude that Steamboat Springs recently voted to keep the fifth grade band program, advocating that the arts are important for students’ development and experiences. Programs such as Strings School Days excite students about the arts, bonding them with a group of peers, motivating them to practice music for a World Premiere and giving them the chance to perform with a professional.

The students spoke positively about the experience, describing it as “special,” “cool” and “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“The students are inspired and boy has it transformed my percussionists! I know that you were really only here a short time but you made an incredible and lasting impact on our school!” –Band Director Jim Knapp to Simon Boyar

“What an opportunity for my students!   You brought an element to their performance that they have never experienced.   It was exciting for me and I can only imagine the impact on them!  They are still talking about it- of course.” - Strings Director Mary Anne Fairlie to Simon Boyar

Check out our links section on the side bar for photos and videos of Strings School Days.