The Atlanta Constitution du lieu suivant : Atlanta, Georgia • 356

CITY LIFE The Atlanta Journal The Atlanta Constitution JN6 Thursday, March 27. 1997 ''1 City Arts 'i w- Strings ring true for young players Jet i m- -y' Photos by DWIGHT ROSS JR. Staff Early mastery: Garden Hills Elementary orchestra members (from left, front) Kimie Bunya, Kristen Peifer, Annitta McFadden and Whitner O'Dowd and their fellow musicians play at the school. The group will be featured on classical music station WABE-FM radio in May. Highly accomplished: Elementary school orchestra has won acclaim for its talent, skill and dedication.

By H.M. Cauley FOR THE JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION usic: It's Worth It "says the sign on the blackboard in Anne Sheldon's trailer behind Garden Hills Elementary School. And hearing the strains of string music spilling out of the portable classroom, it's clear there's been a lot of practicing going on. Inside, perched on metal folding chairs, budding fifth-grade musicians are coaxing masterful sounds out of their scaled-down violins, violas and cellos. Red lines on many instrument necks mark the correct places for small fingers.

Puffs of foam padding are rubber-banded to several violins to cushion shoulders. Some of Sheldon's 75 pint-size play- ers have been part of the school's string program for three years. In that time, Sheldon said, the group has reached a degree of accomplishment not often found at the elementary-school level. "Here, the difference is definitely the school," said Sheldon, a 10-year Atlanta public school strings specialist. "There's an absolute commitment to the program.

The faculty bends over backward to help many of these students who give up a class period to come here." Sheldon said the school has children from 26 countries enrolled. "Sometimes I have children come in who don't speak English, but it doesn't stop them. They use their ears and watch." Word of the orchestra's talent has spread beyond Buckhead. Last week, select members of the group attended an orchestra clinic sponsored by the Georgia Music Educators' Association and held in Sandy Springs. Earlier this year, 26 of the Garden Hills musicians were selected through a taped audition to traveled to Savannah, where they were the only elementary-school group featured in concert for the Association's conference.

"It was a lot of work, and it took contributions from the school system and the parents doing fund-raising to go," said Sheldon. "But we wanted to show them what an orchestra could do if it 'f' i i IMP TODAY Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. With guest conductor Robert King. Corelli: Concerto Grosso; Handel: "Deborah" overture; Telemann: "Water Vivaldi: Concerto for Strings, R. 114; Bach: Sinfonia from "Easter Oratorio," Orchestral Suite No.

3. 8 tonight-Saturday. Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peach-tree St. N.E. 404-733-5000.

Wayne Hancock. Country music. 10 p.m. $7 in advance. Smith's Olde Bar, 1578 Piedmont Ave.

N.E. 404-875-1522. "The Merchant of Venice." Shakespeare Tavern. Directed by Tony Wright. 7:30 p.m.

Thursdays-Saturdays; 6:30 p.m. Sundays. Also, many 10 a.m. Wednesday matinees for students. Through June 1.

$11 for students at all shows except Saturdays. Shakespeare Tavern, 499 Peachtree St. N.E. 404-874-5299. FRIDAY "The Choice." Dramatic Easter musical about the love between a Jewish girl and a Roman soldier at the time of Christ.

Presented by Mount Paran Central Church of God. 8 p.m. Friday; 7 p.m. Sunday. Free.

2055 Mount Paran Road N.W. 404-261-0720. Dash Rip Rock. With Fishmouth Fools. Concert, 10 p.m.

$6. Cotton Club, 1021 Peachtree St. N.E. 404-874-1993. New York City Opera National Company.

Performs Puccini's "La Boheme." 8 p.m. $48; $44 senior citizens; $10 under 11. Ferst Center for the Arts, Georgia Tech, 349 Ferst Ave. N.W. 404-894-9600.

"Zurich Plays." The Top Shelf of Dad's Garage Theatre Company premieres the experimental play by Marc Cram and Brian Griffin recounting the history of the Dadaist art movement Midnight Fridays-Saturdays. Through April 19. $6. 280 Elizabeth St. N.E.

404-523-3141. SATURDAY Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Performs as partsf the Casual Classics series with guest conductor Robert King. Corelli: Concerto Grosso; Telemann: "Water Handel: "Deborah" overture; Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 3.

2 p.m. $20. Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. 404-733-5000.

Jason Bonham Band. Concert, 8:30 p.m. $10 in advance at Ticketmaster; $12 day of show. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E.

404-249-6400. Kris Cangelosl Dance Project Performing "Blackbox." 7 and 9 p.m. $12. 14th Street Playhouse, 173 14th St. N.E.

404-843-8547. SUNDAY Tito Puente. Music starts at 8 p.m. $30 in advance at Ticketmaster. International Ballroom 6616 New Peach-tree Road N.E., Doraville.

404-249-6400. I MONDAY Bush. With Veruca Salt. Concert, 8 p.m $25 at Ticketmaster. The Omni, 100 Techwood Drive N.W.

404-249-6400. Thamyris. "Percussion Alive" features two percussionists and the clarinetist from the new music ensemble in an evening of discussion and performance. 7:30 p.m. $10.

Georgia State University Concert Hall, Gilmer Street at Peachtree Center Avenue S.E. 404-651-4636 TUESDAY ''Qoud Tectonics." Alliance Theatre Company presents Jose" Rivera's magical tale of a man who falls in love with a woman who lives outside of time. 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m Sundays. Also, 2:30 p.m.

April 5. Through April 13. $20 and $26. Some $10 tickets at box office on day of show; must be purchased in person. Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St.

N.E. 404-733-5000. The Phantom of the Opera." Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical about a Shantom haunting a Paris opera ouse and his love for a young soprano. 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m.

Saturdays; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays. Also, 8 p.m. April 7 and 2 p.m. April 10.

Through April 12. at Ticketmaster or box office. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E. 404-817-8700 or 404-881-2000.

vl 4 Deft fingering: DeAn-thony Trice, 1 1 concentrates hard on the music while practicing his string-plucking technique. The Garden Hills Elementary orchestra members attend music class three times a week and are expected to practice at least four times a week at home. after blaze year, as Music Midtown's reputation spreads. "This year, we'll definitely become one of the top, nationally recognized festivals," she said. "I'm starting to hear a lot more from people across the country saying, 'We've got to be So I think we'll be getting a lot more tourist festivalgoers this year." Susan Mendeim, president and chief executive officer of the Midtown Alliance, said that despite its recent hardship, she thinks ConcertSouthern has put together the best Music Midtown festival to date.

"Alex Cooley and Peter Conlon and the entire staff over there are just consummate professionals, and they are amazing in their rebound ability," she said. "Staging an endeavor of this size and scope is really difficult in an urban set- ting, but at their press conference last week, you would never had known what they had been through so recently," Mendheim said. "This has got to have been a real bottoming-out experience for them, but they have overcome it beautifully, and I think they've got a much more exciting festival planned than ever before." MUSIC IN THE AIR Music Midtown will be held May 2-4, in a seven-block area bordered by Peachtree, West Peachtree, 10th and uth streets. Tickets $19 per day or $27 for a three-day pass are available at all TicketmaS' ter locations or by calling 404-249-6400. For more Information, check the Music Midtown Website at www.musicmidtown.com or call the festival hotline at 770-MIDTOWN (770-643-8696), -t A X' 1 -J Promotions staff recovers fast has a faculty and administration that supports it, parents who value it, and kids who are very, very dedicated." The students attend music classes three times a week for 30 minutes.

In addition, they're expected to practice at least four times a week at home. "At the end of the year, the 10 kids who have practiced most go to Miss Sheldon's house for ice cream sundaes," said fourth-grader Theresa Fike. "I did that last year and it was really fun. I think that gets everyone into practicing, because they want to go." Last month, the class was visited by representatives of classical music station WABE-FM (90.1), who recorded several selections that will air on the station May 11 as part of what may become a regular series of features on young musicians around the city. "They're at that beginning stage, but you can hear a lot of promise," said WABE manager Earl Johnson.

"The show will include some student interviews about being part of the orchestra, their interest in classical music and music careers." Fifth-grader Ehsan Najafabadi has played in the orchestra for three years, but he doesn't plan to make music a career. "I think of it as a hobby," said the 11-year-old viola player. "I really want to be an electrical engineer." ON THE AIR The Garden Hills Elementary School orchestra will be featured on WABE-FM (90. 1 on May 1 1 at noon. i a 1 1 an it Playing by ear: ConcertSouthern out of makeshift quarters on Spring offices.

The fire killed the office cat keepsakes. Midtown. The event includes eight live music stages, a children's area, crafts, food booths and other concessions. "We were right on track before the fire, getting everything done," Valente said. "Plus, we're all like family here in fiiis office, and we really love this festi- (J-I 1 Work's back on track forMidtown festival By Holly Crenshaw STAFF WRITER It was only a few weeks ago that the staff of ConcertSouthern Promotions saw its Monroe Drive office destroyed in a late-night fire one in a series of blazes that have plagued Midtown.

The incident claimed a house across from Ansley Mall that had served as headquarters for the music booking and concert promotion company for more than 11 years. But the hardest blow, said talent buyer Laura Valente, was the loss of personal memorabilia and even more, their beloved office cat, Grayson. "We had adopted this stray cat who was very hungry and skittish, and tamed her and made her ours," Valente said. "Having a pet in the office really helped us deal with our stress, so we really miss her big-time. It was very sad." Despite their grief, the 13 staff members immediately regrouped after the tragedy, and within two days ConcertSouthern was completely operational again in its new temporary offices on Spring Street.

Faced with the task of organizing Music Midtown a three-day festival expected to draw 200,000 people Valente and other ConcertSouthern employees have barely had time to unpack the boxes of paperwork and cassettes salvaged from their old desks. The fourth annual live music festival, which is sponsored by the Midtown Alliance, wjJl be held May 2-4 on a seven-block stretch of land in the heart of iff j. j- Tr- 3 'A-' NICK ARROYO Staff Promotions intern Greg Ellis works Street after a fire destroyed the firm's and cost staff members their personal val. I can't imagine not working on it." Most of the lineup of performers was released at a press conference last week, but ConcertSouthern also will announce a few additional artists. Valente also said she expects the fes- tival to draw more out-of-towners his mm I 1.

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