Chamber ensembles, African drummers, and the art and craft of music theatre mark the range of local arts education programs offered for youth ages 5-18 in Sonoma County by Greenfarm in its inaugural season this summer.
The season will culminate when students from these workshops take center stage in the Festival on the Green's premiere Youth Festival Weekend, July 27-29 at Sonoma State University.
The free festival events will run each day from 3-8 p.m. on the SSU campus and will feature music in whole host of styles, an original musical theater revue, a dramatization of MacBeth and participatory drumming led by noted African drum master Kwaku Daddy among other entertainment.
The Youth Festival will also feature the orchestral blasts of German youth-musicians Knabenmusick Meersburg at the start of their U.S. tour.
Greenfarm, the new arts education component of the Green Music Center, offers a new and lively spectrum of performing arts programs for young people, and workshops for adults, bringing under one umbrella once separate programs of the Santa Rosa Symphony and Sonoma State University.
Highlights of the summer program at Sonoma State University leading up to the late July festival include:
- Young Artists Chamber Ensembles, June 25-July 27: string, wind and piano ensemble music for youth 7-18
- Santa Rosa Symphony Summer Music Academy, July 2-26: instrumental classes focusing on string instruction for youths ages 5-18
- Summer Arts for Youth, July 9-29: intensive performing arts training in acting, dancing and singing for youth 14-17
- Singabout!, July 16-27: comprehensive introduction to the art and craft of music theatre by Z Space Studio of San Francisco
-"Singing is Where the Magic Happens", July 21: singing workshop for youth ages 7-15 offered by the Santa Rosa Children's Chorus
"Though the Green Music Center doesn't yet exist as a physical structure, Greenfarm is beginning to plan and develop the learning-based programs in the arts that will someday bring the Center alive," says Artistic Director Jeff Langley.
Festival on the Green is the principal summer activity of the Green Music Center.
