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24 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday January 9, 2009 www.oakvillebeaver.com Artscene · FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2009 Sursaut Dance Co. AT NIGHTFALL January 18th 2009 January 21st 2009 LUNCH AT ALLEN'S BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY January 30th 2009 Sharing a love of music By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF All performances are at The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts For tickets call 905-815-2021 or 1-888-489-7784 Order on-line at www.oakvillecentre.ca ORPORATE EVENTS EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS ARTIST The CAMPS FOR KIDS LIVE CUISINE RESTAURANT LIVE P EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS ARTISTS IN RESIDENCY CO VE CUISINE RESTAURANT LIVE PERFORMANCES CORPOR ARTISTS IN RESIDENCY COMMU COURSES CAMPS FOR K MISSISSAUGA PERFORMANCES CORPORATE EVENTS EDUCATIONAL W Living Arts Centre PERCUSSION EXPLOSION BAM! 3 PM N Hammerson Hall N $25 & up SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2009 PRINT MEDIA SPONSOR www.livingartscentre.ca TEL: 905.306.6000 OR 1.888.805.8888 4141 LIVING ARTS DRIVE, MISSISSAUGA, ON L5B 4B8 N HWYS 403 & 10,WEST OF SQUARE ONE FREE HEATED UNDERGROUND PARKING oung music lovers are expected to flock to the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Jan. 31 for the Oakville Symphony Orchestra's popular mini-concerts for young people. The two morning concerts will feature the premiere of Vernon's Birthday Party, written by Ian Morrison, who will also serve as narrator for the concert. Morrison has been a violinist with the orchestra for 13 years. He said he is excited to share this story that combines likable characters with music. "I was looking for a way to introduce young people to instruments in the orchestra," he said. "I hope the children have fun and that they get the notion that it takes different kinds of instruments to make up an orchestra." Morrison penned the short story last year, with the intent of it being performed in the orchestra's concerts for young people series. The interactive story tells how Vernon Rabbit visits four of his musical friends and invites them, one by one, to his birthday party. Vernon Rabbit and his friends are portrayed by musical instruments, each representing a section of the orchestra. Members of the orchestra, as well as an up and coming drummer studying music at university, will play the characters in the story. "There's a violin, trumpet, flute, snare drum and a double bass," Morrison said. "The violin starts off solo and then he meets his friend who plays the trumpet and they become and duet and it goes on." Morrison paired his story with Johann Strauss' Radetzky March. "Each time they walk and find another friend, they play this piece of music," he said. "It's a very catchy tune and everyone loves it. The children might not know the piece, but they will respond to it." The young people's concerts were launched in 2005 by the Community Outreach Committee. Morrison has been a member of the committee since it was founded in 2004. He said the concerts, aimed at children four to 11 years in age, are a fun and interactive way to get youths involved in music. Y FILE PHOTO MUSIC MAN: Ian Morrison, longtime member of the Oakville Symphony Orchestra, has written a story for the upcoming young people's concerts. Morrison will serve as narrator. "The whole object is to develop a around 100 people per show. "Because of the attention span of love of music in young people," he the children, we find that length said. Admission has always been free to works for them," he said. The orchestra has several other the concerts. "We want to reach the most num- initiatives to expose students to ber of people we can and we have a music. It works with both the Catholic donation box, and some people are and public school boards in the region very kind and put money in, but we to bring musicians into the classdon't raise a lot of money, and that's rooms. A recent initiative developed by the not what it is about at all," Morrison said. "We want to bring music to chil- orchestra's outreach committee is exposing high school students to clasdren, that's our focus." The mini-concerts feature differ- sical music. "We're trying to show that classical ent combinations of musicians. Sometimes a single instrumentalist is music as we know it was the root of featured, while other times a small other forms of music," he said. "We've group of orchestra members perform. been to one high school last year and The response is always positive, we have another one in mind for this coming year." according to Morrison. The OSO also holds a poster con"Some of the children are really enthusiastic and we get many families test and presents a family-friendly, affordable, full-length young people's coming back," he said. And the musicians are often as concert in the fall. excited as the children. Vernon's Birthday Party runs for "Most musicians want to encour- two shows on Saturday Jan. 31 at 10 age children to take up music and a.m. and 11 a.m. in the lobby of share the joy they get out of playing," Oakville Centre for the Performing he said. Arts, 130 Navy St. Elements of the concerts that have Admission is free, but spaces are stayed the same over the years are a limited and should be reserved by question and answer period, the phone at 905-844-6920 or by e-mail opportunity for children to touch at osochildrenconcert@gmail.com. instruments and free admission. Children must be accompanied by The concerts are 30 minutes in an adult. length, which makes them appropriFor more information, visit ate for the four to 11 age group, www.oakvillesymphony.com/outMorrison said. Attendance is usually reach.html.