By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer
Do you have a child who dances around as they enjoy music? Would you like your child to play music? Have they asked to play an instrument?
Then, Sunday, April 27 is the date to circle on your calendar. That is the day the Blue Jay Jazz Foundation is offering its musical instrument “petting zoo,” an interactive experience for all children as they get to explore musical instruments.
That afternoon, the Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa will come alive with the sounds of kids experimenting with musical instruments such as bowing, plucking, clacking and strumming instruments or blowing into them, imagining themselves as a legendary musician such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck or any of the growing crop of modern musicians.
Rim High junior Jaden Martinez remembers playing his first note at age 12. “When I heard that musical sound coming from my first saxophone, I realized I wanted to make music for life,” Jaden said.
Karissa from Music & Arts helped Bellamy, 7, and her sister, Kensington, 4, blow some notes with trumpets from the instrument petting zoo at last year’s event. (File photos by Mary-Justine Lanyon)
The petting zoo will have tables filled with musical instruments such as guitars, ukuleles, keyboards, violins, drums, saxophones, horns and others. Children can learn about the different instrument families such as strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion from the docents and even learn the names of different parts of the instruments they may be interested in trying out that afternoon. A child may explore and try one or several during the afternoon. The first instrument tried may not be the one they’ll get hooked on. However, each child has their own inner musician within, that needs to find their musical voice.
Docents will teach the children how to properly hold the instrument and demonstrate to them how to make their first musical sounds and then encourage them to try on their own. They can try which ever one that appeals to them and then try another. During the afternoon, there will be musicians – adults and students – demonstrating their instruments and guiding the children on how they, too, could play them.
These petting zoo events aim to introduce children to different instruments and, by helping them learn how to hold and play them, hopefully spark an interest in music.
“It’s a road to finding that instrument that’s yours,” said Rim of the World High School junior Brenden Watson, who added that first note can be a powerful and nostalgic experience.
“My first instrument was a trombone but that didn’t really ignite my spark. However, when I blew into a saxophone, something magical seemed to happen,” he said. “Those early experiences turned that spark into a fire for me.”
“When I heard sound coming from my first saxophone,” said Jaden Martinez, “I realized I wanted to make music for life.”
Brenden and Jaden, who are both Blue Jay Jazz music scholarship winners, love to create beautiful music and have fun musical adventures together and with others. Most weekends, these two best friends can be seen in the heart of the Lake Arrowhead Village giving a concert for all to hear for free. They love to play and getting public approval is even more exciting.
The Rim High Jazz Band, under the direction of music director Kari Stebbing, will play a short concert that afternoon, demonstrating how the various instruments sound together and separately. Before and afterwards, the musicians will talk with the kids, sharing their own instrument discovery story while expressing their love for music. Proceeds from the benefit concert by the Rim High Jazz Band support Rim band programs.
Doors will open for the petting zoo at 12:30 p.m. Children are free; adults are asked to contribute a $10 donation. The event is sponsored by the Blue Jay Jazz Foundation, the Women’s Club of Lake Arrowhead and Steffen Wheeler Sotheby’s International Real Estate.
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