Kids Fare Programs Speak Creativity

EVANSTON, Ill. --- The Northwestern University Marching Band, Brazilian percussionist Dede Sampaio and ensemble members from DanceWorks Chicago will take children on imaginative musical journeys during the 2013-14 Kids Fare series.

This season’s seven-concert series will also include performances by members of the Bienen School of Music Brass Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra, and vocalists from the voice and opera program.

Presented by Northwestern’s Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music, and led by faculty members, guest artists and students, the popular hourlong Saturday morning series runs from Sept. 28 to May 17.

Designed for children ages 3 to 8 and their families and friends, the Kids Fare series provides a comfortable and fun introduction to music through song, guided listening experiences and creative movement. View a Kids Fare video sampler here.

Individual tickets for each event are $6 for the general public and $4 for children. Families can save 15 percent off the single-ticket price by purchasing a Family Fun Pack: two adult passes and two children’s passes to all seven concerts for $119. Each Fun Pack entitles the buyer to two free additional children’s passes per concert so children can bring along siblings, cousins or friends. Tickets can be purchased by phone at (847) 467-4000 or online. For more information, visit Pick-Staiger online or call (847) 491-5441.

Note: All of the following Kids Fare events begin at 10:30 a.m. on Northwestern’s Evanston campus. The Sept. 28 concert will take place at Welsh-Ryan Arena, 2705 Ashland Ave. The remaining six programs will be held at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive, as noted:

2013-14 Kids Fare Season Programs

• Sept. 28 -- “March with the Band.” The annual opening event at Welsh-Ryan Arena lets children experience Northwestern’s Wildcat Marching Band, led by Daniel J. Farris, director of athletic bands. Young audience members are encouraged to bring their favorite toy instruments to play as they march with the band at the end of the program.
• Nov. 9 -- “Brasstacular!” Gail Williams, professor of horn, leads the Bienen School of Music Brass Ensemble in a program of works for trumpets, trombones, horns and tubas, at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall.
• Jan. 18 -- “Ringing Singing.” A showcase of vocalists from the Bienen School voice and opera program will take place at Pick-Staiger.
• Jan. 25 -- “Symphonically Sensational.” Timothy J. Robblee directs Northwestern University’s Symphonic Band in a concert featuring winds, brass and percussion, at Pick-Staiger. 
• Feb. 15 -- “¡Festejar o Ritmo de Brazil!” Brazilian percussion virtuoso Dede Sampaio and friends will perform South American rhythms on indigenous instruments, at Pick-Staiger. Special guests will demonstrate “capoeira,” a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance and music.
• March 15 -- “Orchestral Dreams.” The Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Robert G. Hasty, will present a concert of pieces for strings, brass, woodwinds and percussion, at Pick-Staiger.
• May 17 -- “Prancing and Dancing.” The 2013-14 Kids Fare season finale spotlights celebrated company DanceWorks Chicago, and its creative and energetic blend of music and dance, at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall.

Free parking is available in the Ryan Field west lot on Ashland Avenue, north of Central Street, as well as in the F lot parking structure just south of Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. For updates on parking and directions, visit Pick-Staiger online.