press release april 2010
(< Return to Press Releases)Mountain View Whisman School District Choruses PRESENT “EVERYBODY’S GOT A SONG TO SING” on May 10at NINTH Annual Choral Fest at Shoreline Amphitheatre
On Monday, May 10, 2010, 5-8 pm, Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View, Los Altos/Mtn. View PTA Council, and Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) will present the Ninth Annual Mountain View Whisman School District Choral Fest at Shoreline Amphitheatre, One Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View. This year’s event ~ Everybody’s Got a Song to Sing ~ presents children from the district’s 9 elementary and middle school choruses and offers the community the opportunity to come together to share in the joy of music.
“Under the direction of choral directors from CSMA at the elementary level and middle school music teachers, each school's chorus will sing one song. The show will open and close with all of the choruses, approximately 500 children, performing together on stage.
“This year’s theme, Everybody’s Got a Song to Sing, captures the universal nature of music,” says Kaye De Vries, CSMA’s Program Manager, Music in the Schools, and Choral Fest Co-Chairperson. “The program brings to life that feeling in all of us that music gives expression to,” adding that the entire program, opening with all of the children singing There’s Just Something about a Song, makes that connection from start to finish.
Both admission and parking are free for this public event (held rain or shine), which is part of the Shoreline-CSMA Partnership in Commitment to Arts Education. Gates and concessions open at 5 pm, with the concert beginning at 6:30 pm on Shoreline’s Main Stage.
Attendees are invited to Shoreline Amphitheatre prior to the Choral Fest to picnic and to socialize with students, families and other community members. From 5-6 pm on the lawn picnic area, attendees will enjoy pre-show entertainment by the Crittenden Jazz Band and Graham Jazz Band.
Tim Anderson, General Manager, Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View and Live Nation, said, "As a member of the Mountain View community, Shoreline Amphitheatre provides quality live entertainment for music enthusiasts of all ages. We are thrilled to host this unique event for the ninth time as part of our entertainment calendar and hope our guests from the community enjoy listening to the sounds of the Mountain View Whisman School District choruses performing in one of the country's premiere concert venues."
“I am once again excited to be a part of organizing this extraordinary event for the choral students of the Mountain View Whisman School District,” said event Co-Chairperson and Master of Ceremonies Michelle De La Ossa of the PTA Council. “The community is very fortunate to have resources and collaborative partnerships among organizations like Shoreline, CSMA, and the PTA Council. Choral Fest is a perfect example of the importance of continuing to foster relationships that benefit and highlight the accomplishments and hard work of young people.”
“CSMA is proud to be a co-sponsor of this annual concert,” commented CSMA’s Program Manager, Music in the Schools and Co-Chairperson Kaye De Vries. “However, none of this would have been possible without Shoreline’s involvement and generous sponsorship once again this year. We are indebted to them for underwriting major costs for the venue and for producing this event involving 500 children.”
Initiated in 2001, the Shoreline-CSMA Partnership in Commitment to Arts Education was formed to promote and increase awareness of the importance of arts education and to create additional opportunities for both organizations to develop community outreach events. It was a natural partnership for CSMA and Shoreline because of Shoreline’s desire to support the community and CSMA’s established art and music education programs. CSMA has been providing arts-in-the-schools programs in the Mountain View Whisman School District for more than 25 years.
"Choral Fest is a wonderful example of the partnerships for young people that exist in our community,” said Superintendent Dr. Maurice Ghysels of the Mountain View Whisman School District. “CSMA offers our students an outstanding music education program and Choral Fest enriches the program by providing children the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned by performing in a professional environment. Students will truly remember this event for life. I greatly appreciate the work of the PTA Council, CSMA and Shoreline Amphitheatre on behalf of the students as well as the commitment of the Mountain View Educational Foundation for their support of the district’s music education program."
The Los Altos/Mtn. View PTA Council serves all of the 21 school PTAs in Mountain View Whisman Elementary, Los Altos Elementary, and Mountain View-Los Altos High School Districts. The PTA Council is part of the 6th District (Santa Clara County) of the CA State PTA, affiliated with the National PTA. The Council’s mission is to train and support member PTAs and school districts for the benefit of all of the children.
Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) is a center for arts education committed to providing Arts for All, regardless of age, level, background or economic means. Since its founding in 1968, CSMA has served more than a quarter million people and is the largest nonprofit provider of arts education programs in the region. Through its in-school programs, including Arts in Action and Music in Action, CSMA serves more than 6,000 children annually in over 25 schools in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. In addition, CSMA offers lessons and classes for all ages, after school art clubs and vacation camps, free concerts, exhibitions, lectures and community outreach events. In keeping with its mission to make the arts accessible to all, the school provides a Financial Aid Program to youth and low-income families. CSMA is located at Finn Center, 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View, and is one of the 10 largest schools of its kind in the U.S.
To learn more about the Choral Fest, please contact Kaye DeVries, Program Manager, Music in the Schools, Community School of Music and Arts, 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View, 650/917-6800, ext 307, kdevries@arts4all.org. Information is also available on the websites of the three sponsoring groups: www.livenation.com, www.mvwsd.org, and www.arts4all.org.