Interlude - April 30
April 30, 2020
Behind-the-scenes tours, noisy fun for kids, selfie music lessons, Foster/McPhee home videos
Welcome back to Interlude, your twice-a-week digital care package from the Center for the Performing Arts. Today’s installment includes a couple new features, some compelling artistic expressions and even opportunities to better ourselves!
Go behind the scenes at the Center
The Center’s venues hold many intriguing secrets, and no one knows them better than our Vice President of Operations, Jeff Steeg. If you’ve never had a chance to tour the Palladium or the broader campus, you might enjoy our new video series, Places, Please!, brought to you by Shepherd Insurance.
In each brief clip, Jeff will share some of the structural and technological features that make the magic of live performance happen. This inaugural installment focuses on the Palladium stage itself, which can play a surprisingly important role in certain performances.
Revisiting our favorite concerts for kids
The Center’s Faegre Drinker Peanut Butter & Jam series is a great way for parents, grandparents and other guardians to introduce little ones to the performing arts. As we await the return of those monthly Saturday morning sessions, we’re pulling some video highlights from our archives and adding suggestions for activities so families can recreate the magic on their own.
The first installment features the percussion ensemble Clang! (pictured above) as they show how to make music with pots and pans and other household items. Do try this at home!
David Foster with Katharine McPhee - Hoosier Village Songbook Series
Rescheduled to January 21, 2021
Katharine McPhee
Married just last year, David Foster and Katharine McPhee are quite the celebrity power couple. He is one of the top songwriters and producers in pop history, with millions in sales as well as 16 Grammy Awards and three Oscar nominations. She rose from American Idol to success as a recording artist and actress, including a run in the hit musical Waitress.
Songbook Series Sponsor
Now, like many of us, they are spending a lot of time at home, and their Palladium appearance this month on Foster’s Hitman Tour has been rescheduled for Jan. 21, 2021. Tickets purchased for the previous date will be honored, and tickets are available here.
Performance Sponsor
Until then, you can enjoy all sorts of material online, including:
- The couple's cover of "Hero" by Mariah Carey, dedicated to healthcare workers
- An hour-long Facebook Live performance by Foster
- Eleven Words, Foster's new solo piano album
- Songs and stories from David Foster in this hour-long live recording
- A number of casual home performances and other charming clips recorded while sheltering in place, available at McPhee's YouTube fan page
Learn something new with the Songbook Academy!
If you’re feeling stuck at home, why not take the opportunity to hone your acting, dancing and/or musical skills? This could finally be your opportunity to learn an instrument or take a beginning ballet class. A wealth of online self-teaching resources is right at your fingertips, and our pals at the Great American Songbook Foundation – organizers of the annual Songbook Academy® national summer music intensive for teens – have recommended the best of the best in this new blog post.
At JoyTunes, for example, you can find advice on choosing the right musical instrument for you, plus tips on important skills and links to free online courses. So what are you waiting for?
Also, many musicians and music teachers are coming up with creative ways to Zoom or Skype right into your living room to provide mentoring and personalized goals, so check around your community to see what’s available. It’s a great opportunity to support local artists and arts educators during a challenging time.
Tune in for story time with Mr. Burton
He’s an actor, writer, director and podcaster, but above all, LeVar Burton describes himself as a storyteller, and he has a soft spot for the cause of literacy. It’s no surprise, under current circumstances, that he is putting his talents to use by sharing some of his favorite books online.
Via Twitter and reachable through his website, Burton is reading aloud for folks of all ages to enjoy. The weekly schedule includes children’s stories, young adult fiction and stuff for grown-ups too.
Learn more at LevarBurton.com.
