Music in Van Wert 3/2/11

NPAC benefits schools and community

By Paul Hoverman

As you read this column, a busload of Chinese performers will be heading out of town to their next destination.  Those of you fortunate enough to have witnessed their show: Cirque Shangai: Bai Xi were certainly entertained beyond belief!

One of the special rewards of this show that many are not aware of is that a class of students from Lima Senior High School studying Chinese was in attendance.  With them was their instructor who has lived in the U.S. for less than a year.  Living in Lima, he has had a difficult time adjusting to life without many native Chinese around to communicate with.  We were able to bring him and his students in contact with many of the Chinese acrobats before the performance.  I am sure it was a welcomed event for the instructor and quite an educational event for the students.

This opportunity is just one of many ways the Niswonger Performing Arts Center has been able to benefit others beyond just entertainment.  Earlier in the season, our Lecture/Speaker Committee offered children’s book author, Steven Kellogg to a large congregation of students who have read his books.  He also met with many teachers who have used his books in their classrooms for many years.

Our performance of the ballet, Swan Lake was to have included a matinee performance for students in schools throughout the region.  Along with that, we supplied a study guide for teachers to share with their students about the story of Swan Lake and the music of Tchaikovsky.  Unfortunately, the matinee was cancelled due to one of our many snow storms of the season.

Just last week, we were pleased to offer a master class to the Lincolnview High School Choir with Dr. Everett McCorvey of the American Spiritual Ensemble.  The students were introduced to new ideas of how to sing and perform on stage for an audience.

On the 25^th of this month, professional actors from the New York City Gilbert & Sullivan Players production of The Pirates of Penzance, will be offering a master class to students from schools throughout the region.  This is a first for us and something we hope will benefit drama students in many schools.

Then again on April 19, the DePue Brothers Band will offer a student performance for Van Wert High School students in the afternoon before their evening public performance.  This band of eight outstanding musicians will light up the Van Wert Co. Foundation Saltzgaber Music Hall with some dynamic Bluegrass, high-energy Rock and Country music.  One of the musicians happens to be the principal timpanist for the Philadelphia Symphony, one of the most respected orchestras in the world.  He will be offering a master class to some percussion students.

We are constantly looking for ways to incorporate what we do at the NPAC into the lives of people in our community- especially the young people in our schools.  We hope that through the opportunities offered, young people will be enriched and maybe even inspired to seek a career in one of the arts.  At the very least, we hope to build future audiences.

Those who buy tickets to our concerts and especially those individuals, businesses and corporations who invest in the NPAC through financial support as underwriters and sponsors are helping us make these benefits available to children in our schools and communities.  We look forward to continuing these efforts with continued support as we make plans for an entirely new season in 2011-12.

The Van Wert County Foundation office is now taking names of non-profit organizations in Van Wert County who would like to be considered for serving food at one of the Fountain Park Summer Music concerts.  Call the office at 419-238-1743 and give us your name, address, phone number and email address, along with the name of your organization.  Names will be drawn on April 1 and those eight lucky organizations will be contacted.