The strains of Latin jazz will heat up the city streets when the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble plays this Sunday in Union Square as part of the ongoing free Jewels in the Square performances. Far from a kiddie show, this group of about 15 young musicians, who range in age from 10 to 18 years old, display a serious professionalism.
Founded in 2001 by Bay Area bandleader and San Francisco State University faculty member John Calloway along with Arturo Riera and Sylvia Ramirez, the ensemble boasts a resume that any professional would envy, including opening for jazz greats such as the Cuban bassist Israel "Cachao" López, and jamming with the likes of noted pianist Chuchito Valdés.
"It's quite an opportunity for a student musician," Ramirez says. "We are really unique - we've been around since 2001 and have never charged the students to participate. We recruit from all over the community, especially public schools, where kids may have a lot of natural talent and some training, but they might never have had access to private instruction in music."
Read more at the SF Chronicle website.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
96 Hours Family: Take Flight for Kids
For a kid who can't walk, how about the opportunity to fly?
The Take Flight for Kids festival, which takes off Saturday at the Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose, aims to open up new worlds for kids with special needs, who are physically or cognitively challenged or from at-risk groups, by giving them a chance to experience flying - not just by riding in a plane or helicopter but also by taking the controls of the plane.
Sponsored by the Valley Medical Center Foundation Project and the San Jose Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 62, the flights are the experience of a lifetime, says organizer Dean McCully, and for many of the 200 or so lucky kids - who go up with their families - it might be the first time they've ever been in a plane.
"We put the kids in the co-pilot seat and when the pilot says, 'OK, the plane is yours,' they take over," McCully explains, admitting that the pilot, of course, doesn't take his or her hands off the main controls. But for a few minutes, the kids are able to direct the plane and feel what it's like to command the craft.
Read more at the SF Chronicle website.
The Take Flight for Kids festival, which takes off Saturday at the Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose, aims to open up new worlds for kids with special needs, who are physically or cognitively challenged or from at-risk groups, by giving them a chance to experience flying - not just by riding in a plane or helicopter but also by taking the controls of the plane.
Sponsored by the Valley Medical Center Foundation Project and the San Jose Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 62, the flights are the experience of a lifetime, says organizer Dean McCully, and for many of the 200 or so lucky kids - who go up with their families - it might be the first time they've ever been in a plane.
"We put the kids in the co-pilot seat and when the pilot says, 'OK, the plane is yours,' they take over," McCully explains, admitting that the pilot, of course, doesn't take his or her hands off the main controls. But for a few minutes, the kids are able to direct the plane and feel what it's like to command the craft.
Read more at the SF Chronicle website.
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