Guiratist Brad Richter performs free concert tonight

April 11th, 2008 at 10:03am Aspen Music Festival 355

Aspen Music Festival and School Director of Educational Outreach Debby Barnekow has been blogging from around the Valley this week. Today is the final day of her in-school residency with guitarist Brad Richter.

As this residency with Brad Richter comes to a close, and we head into the Music and M.O.R.E. concert at 6:30 tonight at Harris Concert Hall, a higher level of intensity was needed to get all of the student groups ready for the performance. Often it is difficult for young people to assess their own potential and abilities. Their performance opportunities are not frequent nor often well attended. I hear young people say to me often that they feel invisible, that adults don't even notice them. I have a most wonderful job that lets me observe their incredible skills, imagination and creativity and hear their powerful solutions to difficult world problems.
Tonight I am proud to not only present Brad Richter with a world premiere among the pieces he will play but to also present students who have worked hard to reach a new plateau in their playing. For some, this is their first time to ever play together in an ensemble.

The past two days we worked with Basalt High School's guitar classes, Aspen Community School's 3rd/4th grade guitarists and Aspen Elementary's 4th grade class, taught by Natalie DeFelice. The high schooler's rearranged their classes in order to have one more extended rehearsal with Brad to perfect their piece-a Led Zeppelin song, Kashmir. ACS guitarists have a Beatle's song, I've Just Seen a Face, that is not often heard. The AES 4th graders worked on perfecting the form of their poem with Brad's music-it will be amazing to hear. I invite you to join us for a wonderful concert- again, the time is 6:30 at Harris Concert Hall.

Entry Filed under: Music, Classical Music, Education, Basalt, Aspen, Aspen Music Festival