What:  Muscatine County Arts Council Second Sunday Summer Concert Series

Where:  On the patio at Pearl Plaza, 208 W. 2nd Street, Muscatine, Iowa.

When:  2nd Sunday of every month from June-September- 6/14; 7/12; 8/9; 9/13  6:00 pm

Sponsor:  The Muscatine County Arts Council

The Muscatine County Arts Council has announced its musical line-up for its 2009 Second Sunday Summer Concert Series.   Kicking off the series on June 14th will be Cruisin', a long time favorite of people in the Muscatine area from the 1960's.  The band is famous for their 60's Rock and Roll and will be inducted this summer into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In July we will enjoy the music of the Frydaddies, a locally based group who specializes in a variety of music including country, rock, blues and folk.

August will bring us some great big band music performed by the River City Big Band.

We will finish up in September with a classical vocalist from Muscatine, Sarah Snydacker.

Food will be available for purchase starting at 5:00 pm from the Port City Underground and Elly's Tea and Coffee.  Please bring your own chair.  The concerts are free to the public, however, donations to help continue the series are gladly accepted.

For more information check the website at http://www.muscatineartscouncil.org or call 563-260-2772.
Sincerely,
Chris Clark and Duffy De France
Muscatine County Arts Council Board Members

Jake McVey's idea is to bring his music to people who cannot attend his concerts. Performing acoustic versions of his show at nursing homes, retirement communities, schools, and hospitals across the United States, the Nashville recording artist is giving back.

In the spirit of the movie, Pay It Forward, McVey will be presenting two free shows in the Quad City area next week. On Wednesday, June 3, at 2:00 P.M., he will perform at Kahl Home for the Aged in Davenport, and at Jersey Ridge Place at 4:00 P.M. "There is nothing better than when you take time to give back. When you're performing in front of people who would just love for someone to say, "Hi," or ask, "How's your day?" it's amazing seeing those faces light up. By the warmth of a song. you know that you truly brought joy to someone's life and brightened their day," says McVey.

McVey's "Pay it Forward Acoustic Tour" is a response to a desire to give back to the communities he visits. As in the movie, Pay It Forward, little acts of kindness culminate in something bigger.

With his second album, Anything Is Possible, to be released this summer, McVey, the composer of over 200 songs, brings together the best of old country with new dynamics. He will begin touring with Darius Rucker at Burlington's Steamboat Days Sunday, June 21.

In 2008, Jake McVey performed in over 300 shows all across the United States. A native of Mediapolis, Iowa, McVey is making a name for himself in the country music arena by relying on his Iowa values of hard work and selfless giving.  As McVey says, "Pay it forward. Why not? And just see what can happen!" For more information about Jake McVey and his "Pay it Forward Tour," visit www.jakemcvey.com or www.myspace.com/mcveyjakepif

To request more information from Jake McVey, email: jakemcvey@hotmail.com or phone: 319-931-5202 (daytime).

Children love music, and it's proven to boost the learning process. A June 16 workshop by Kathleen Gibson offers ways to introduce it into their lives. "Music for the Growing Child" will be offered in one session only, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16 at the Deere-Wiman Carriage House in Moline.

Designed for educators, childcare providers and home school families, the workshop will include song sheets, ideas and techniques to create music for any occasion. Registration fee of $10 includes the two-hour workshop and pizza.

Teaching artist and Parents' Choice award winning singer/songwriter Kathleen Gibson offers ways to incorporate music into all aspects of learning, "even if you don't sing. Music helps us learn, gives us healthy ways to deal with our feelings and creates a harmonious sense of community when we share it," she says. "As children grow and develop, we can help them in so many ways by singing, listening to and moving music, and creating with music."

The workshop is presented by the William Butterworth Memorial Trust and Community Child Care Resource and Referral. For information and reservations, contact Pam Lynch at Community Child Care, 500 E. 59th Street, Davenport, IA 52807; phone (563) 324-3239, extension 1424; or Gretchen Frick Small, Butterworth Center, 1105 8th Street, Moline, IL 61265; phone (309) 743-2701.

Looking for family-friendly outings for your "stay-cation"? A summer concert at the Deere-Wiman House in Moline is sure to please kids of all ages, and with no charge for admission, it's budget-friendly too!

The performance is part of "Music on the Lawn," a series supported by the Deere-Wiman House and Butterworth Center, Community Child Care Resource and Referral Center, Quad City Association for the Education of Young Children and WQPT-TV.

Making his Quad Cities debut, SteveSongs will perform at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15. The concert is held on the lawn of the Deere-Wiman House with seating on the grass. In case of rain or excessive heat, the concert will be moved inside the Deere-Wiman Carriage House.

SteveSongs (also known as Mr. Steve to his fans on PBS Kids) delivers an entertaining, educational performance featuring participatory songs, stories and melodies. Visit SteveSongs online at www.stevesongs.com.

Music on the Lawn (SteveSongs), July 15 on the lawn at the Deere-Wiman House, 817 11th Avenue, Moline, Ill. Event funded by the William Butterworth Memorial Trust. For more information or to reserve free seats, call (309) 743-2701; www.butterworthcenter.com.

Davenport, IA - As the Music of Led Zeppelin Spring Pops concert reaches "must-see" status in the Quad Cities, the QCSO is announcing another way to enjoy the weekend - the Spring Pops Pre-Party. From 5 to 7 on May 30, the parking lot behind the Adler, on Brady Street between 3rd and 4th Street, will be blocked off and set aside for a pre-concert party. Attending the party will be Music of Led Zeppelin conductor/arranger Brent Havens, lead singer Randy Jackson, and Greg Dwyer from the 97X morning show Dwyer and Michaels.

Admission to the party is free and vendors will be selling grilled food from Sunshine Concessions and locally brewed beer from Great River Brewery. Great River Brewery, the Quad Cities' newest, tapped its first keg this spring. Their products are available on tap at establishments throughout the area and are coming soon in 16-ounce cans. Beer from Great River Brewery will also be available inside the Adler during the concert.

Performing at the Spring Pops Pre-Party will be one of the most contagious bands in the Quad Cities - Deadroots. Every Deadroots show is a collage of Rock, Funk, R & B, Bluegrass, Jam, and Jazz. Since it's birth in 1999, the band has evolved into the core line-up of Steve Braddy, Josh Long, John Bechtel, and Jared Hughes. Over the years, Deadroots has gained a reputation for its incredibly catchy and well-crafted original tunes as well as its original takes on cover tunes.

Tickets for the Music of Led Zeppelin Spring Pops concert start at $16 and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com, 800-745-3000, and all Ticketmaster outlets.

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The Quad City Cloggers are starting new beginner lessons on Wednesday, May 20th at 6pm. Classes meet at the Square and Round Hall, 323-1/2 - 17th Street in Bettendorf and will continue through the Summer. No partners are needed and taps are not required to start: smooth soled shoes that slide on wood are recommended. First lesson is free, then $4 per class for adult beginners.

History:

The Quad City Cloggers is a club which has been active in the Quad Cities for over 25 years.  Our goal is to promote, practice, perform and teach traditional-style clogging.  We are members of the Quad Cities Square and Round Federation, and we meet weekly throughout the year.

Clogging is the style of percussive dance (tap) that came out of the Appalachian Mountains from Irish, English and Scottish settlers; sometimes referred to as "American Step Dancing."  There are many forms of clogging, such as flatfoot and buck.  The Quad City Cloggers teach a traditional style.  The focus of clogging is on the footwork with little arm choreography.

Clogging is good exercise and lots of fun for all ages.  Come for the exercise and join us as we have fun and perform at the Senior Olympics, Bix Family Fest, Arrowhead Ranch Auction, Pioneer Village, Festival of Trees and at local nursing homes.

Whether you are interested in learning to clog for just the fun, just for exercise or to perform with a group, all are welcome.

Please contact Mary Ann Robinson, Instructor, at 563-289-5742 or Teresa Young, youth instructor, at 563-323-7412.

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Davenport, IA - The Quad City Symphony Orchestra and Youth Symphony Orchestra have been awarded a week-long residency by world-famous violinist Midori in the spring of 2011. The Orchestra Residencies Program was created by Midori to support American youth orchestras. The Orchestra Residencies Program is a collaborative project providing meaningful musical experiences for the next generation of classical musicians.

Over a period of five to seven days, Midori will participate in a wide range of activities tailored by the QCSO to optimize local involvement of the youth orchestra, including concerts with both the Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. Such activities include master classes and performance workshops, arts advocacy visits to local legislators, meals with Q&A sessions, and a discussion group with the staffs of both orchestras.

Violinist Midori maintains a blend of worldwide performances, expanding commitment to community engagement, devotion to her various roles at the prestigious University of Southern California, and enthusiastic exploration of new territory that fans, students, and media alike have come to expect from this brilliant and multi-faceted artist. Midori founded Midori & Friends in 1992 in response to serious cutbacks in music education in New York City schools; over the last 16 years, over 150,000 children have benefitted from this program. Midori has also founded a similar organization in Japan, Music Sharing. Music Sharing concentrates on music education for young people with a special focus on both Western classical music and traditional Japanese music, including instrument instruction for the disabled.

2004-05 marked the inauguration of Midori's Orchestra Residencies Program, which will bring Midori to the Quad Cities in 2011. Through this program Midori coaches young musicians, appears at benefits and subscription series concerts and works with both orchestras to raise arts awareness within the community. Orchestra Residencies Programs have been conducted in Alaska (Fairbanks and Anchorage), Minnesota, New Mexico, Vermont, Montana, South Dakota, North Carolina, and Des Moines, Iowa.

Midori was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1971 and began studying the violin with her mother, Setsu Goto, at a very early age. In 1982, when Zubin Mehta first heard her play, he was so impressed that he invited her to be a surprise guest soloist for the New York Philharmonic's traditional New Year's Eve concert, on which occasion she received a standing ovation and the impetus to begin a major career.

Midori made her first recording at the age of 14 for Philips - she played music of Bach and Vivaldi with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Pinchas Zukerman. She now records exclusively for Sony BMG, which issued two Midori releases in 2008 - an album joining sonatas of J. S. Bach (Unaccompanied No.2 in A minor) and Bartók (No.1 in C-sharp minor, with pianist Robert McDonald); and a 2-CD compilation of catalogue material, Essential Midori.

In 2004, Midori joined the ranks of published authors with the release in Germany of a memoir titled Einfach Midori (Simply Midori), for the publisher Henschel Verlag. In 2007 Midori was designated an official U.N. Messenger of Peace by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who cited her community engagement work as a model of exemplary commitment to worldwide goals shared by the U.N.

Midori lives in Los Angeles. In 2000, she received her bachelor's degree in Psychology and Gender Studies at the Gallatin School of New York University, graduating magna cum laude, and in 2005 received her Master's degree in Psychology. Away from school and the concert hall, Midori enjoys reading, writing and attending the theater. Her violin is the 1734 Guarnerius del Gesu "ex-Huberman", which is on lifetime loan to her from the Hayashibara Foundation. She uses three bows, two by Dominique Peccatte and the third by François Peccatte.

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Davenport, IA - The ninth annual Quad City Symphony Orchestra Association music education program Listening Olympics will be held on Friday, April 24 at Asbury United Methodist Church, 1809 Mississippi Blvd., Bettendorf. Registration begins at 3:30 PM with preliminary rounds at 4:00 PM and final competition at 5:30 PM. More than 40 fifth-grade students, in teams of three, from Quad City area schools will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals at this friendly competition challenging students' knowledge of classical music.

Playing on the theme of Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader, the QCSO will be fronting three adult teams to compete against the students in the final round. Three teams will represent the Orchestra members, the Board of Trustees and Volunteers for Symphony respectively. These exhibition teams cannot take home medals, but it should be great sport to watch them play.

Listening Olympics is a fun and interactive competition testing students' knowledge of classical music elements, including titles, composers, families of instruments, and style. Student participants have been studying music examples and answering questions like, "Who is the composer?" or "Is this music from the classical or romantic period?"

"Listening Olympics is a fun and wonderful way for fifth graders to become further acquainted with symphonic music!" said Laurie Skjerseth, QCSO Education Coordinator. "We're so excited to have these schools joining the competition." Currently confirmed participants at this year's competition include : Butterworth, Hamilton, Franklin, and Jane Addams from Moline; and Colorado and Madison from Muscatine.

Listening Olympics is offered at no cost to schools and participants through support and funding from Volunteers for Symphony. Photos and interviews can be arranged by calling the Symphony office, 563-322-0931.

Making Musicians Leaders - that is the goal of a new group being formed by local high schoolers. A Kick Off Concert is scheduled for Saturday, April 18th at Mojo's Café in Davenport to raise money for the group which will help local bands find venues to perform

A handful of local teens have teamed up to create "J & J Musician Corporation". The group, spearheaded by 17 year-old Jake Dopler, plans to raise money through concerts and then use the money to help foster local arts programs. Dopler, a junior at United Township in East Moline, has been playing music since the 6th grade and feels there is a big void in the community when it comes to promoting local musicians.

The newly formed "J & J Musician Corporation" has a two fold mission. First it will advertise, promote and publicize local bands; help struggling bands find venues to perform. Secondly, the six member group will raise money and use the dollars to create school music programs. Dopler says musicians have a high status in our society?setting trends with hair and clothes, creating lyrics that can change thinking?and the power of musicians should be put to good use. Dopler says the goal of the new organizations is to make musicians leaders.

Dopler also says the group plans to volunteer in local environmental efforts?such as cleaning up local rivers?and other community needs.

The kick off concert and fundraising campaign begins Saturday, April 18th beginning at noon at Mojo's Café in downtown Davenport. Four local bands will perform at the café, located at 131 W. 2nd Street, and donations will be accepted.

For an interview with Dopler, please call Mary McNeil at 309-236-7317 or 309-277-0062 to set up an interview time.

Reg (guitar, ukulele) and Linda Shoesmith (hammered dulcimer, bowed psaltery) have been playing as a duo for over 4 years. They will perform a variety of music, including Celtic, Scandinavian, American traditional and maybe even a 60's tune.

The hammered dulcimer is a trapezoidal shaped instrument with about 80 strings, played by striking the strings with hammers (small wooden mallets). From the 14th to the 18th centuries, it was popular in Europe and the British Isles . It is considered a classical instrument in the Far East . The Celts, Germans and Scandinavians brought their instruments to the US . Once known as the poor man's piano, it is the forerunner of the harpsichord and piano. In recent years it has been experiencing a revival in Western Europe and the United States .

Reggie Shoesmith retired as an Assistant Principal at Central High School, Davenport and is now in part-time administration at Scott Community College. Linda Shoesmith retired from Scott Community College as a mathematics professor.
Tickets for the show: $5.00/person
Location:
The Moline Commercial Club 2nd. floor
513 - 16th Street, Moline, IL
Social Hour @ 5:30p.m.
Dinner @ 6:30p.m. • Show @ 7:30p.m.

The Moline Commercial Clubs' Chef Lisa, will be serving a magnificent dinner prior to the show, by reservation only. Please call 309-762-8547 to make reservation.

Tickets for Dinner & Show: $25.00/person
Tickets for the show: $5.00/person
*This event is open to the public and the audience can attend the show without dinner.
Priority seating is given to guests who make dinner reservations.
www.rivercityradiohour.us

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