Scores-of-fun

Scores of fun: Circus-themed symphony event draws about 800

By Rob Burkhart
For the Citizen Patriot
Monday - Febraury 18, 2002 - page A-1

The Western Community Performing Arts Center was filled with sights and sounds Sunday as the Jackson Symphony Orchestra hosted its sixth annual Family Concert & Music Fair.,

More than 800 children, parents, grandparents and friends attended the "Under The Big Top"-themed event, featuring a ringmaster and all sorts of circus related musical fun conjured up by the Jackson. Symphony Orchestra. One of the more popular items came from the kitchen: spoons

"The kids love these" said Jean Hlavin, the 77-year-old queen of the musical spoons. "We look forward to it because the children are so responsive and it's amazing how they can keep time and are aware of tempo."

Said her husband, Bob Hlavin, also 77, "We've been doing this for three years now. She's the expert and I'm just the support."

As a child played the wooden spoons on his knee, Jean Hlavin accompanied him, playing her spoons right up his arm and onto his shoulder.

"We're going to put you in the mood for a circus," Professor Felix Von Forte, otherwise known as John Piper, said as ringmaster of the festivities.

The professor told all the kids - and, according to the professor, a kid is anyone from the age of 3 to 93 - to juggle, pretend to be animals and walk tightropes on his cue when the orchestra played. He also warned the audience that if he saw anyone in the audience not doing the same, he'd make them stand up and do it all by themselves.

With that, the orchestra launched into a lively version of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Tumblers" and the audience followed every cue.

"The children see the adults having fun with music and hopefully that encourages them that music is fun," said Brian Peterson, 25, who is in charge of the orchestra's youth programs.

Not only did the kids get a chance to see a symphony orchestra and take part in the concert, but they also had a chance to try out some of the instruments after the concert.

They were invited to roam through a maze of displays and a variety of programs that included lessons in playing harmonicas, banjos, guitars, woodwind and brass instruments and drums..

There were plenty of other musical adventures too, including instruments made from kitchen items that were on display in the cafeteria.

They included "Too Cool Bass Fiddles," which were made from an empty oatmeal box that had a long white string punched through its top and was connected to a handle at the other end. Its player held the handle in his right hand, braced the oatmeal box against the floor with his feet and plucked the string with his left hand.

"That's pretty wild," said 7year-old Michael Avery of Jackson "That would be fun to play at home."

If the "Too Cool Bass Fiddles" didn't strike a musical chord with a child, chances were another instrument would. The "BoomBah," for instance, was a blue mop handle decorated with ribbons and bells. At the bottom was a small spring, and when it was bounced against the floor, the bells played a musical tune.

There were plenty of other activities. There was a puppet show that addressed the amazing world of music; the Western High School Color Guard gave lessons on waving flags; a group of clowns taught circus wannabe's how to clown around with hula hoops; and there also were tumbling lessons.

"I loved the tumbling," said 5year-old Josh Bennett of Jackson. "I rolled right over on my back."

Sara Benedetto of Jackson attended with her three children: Elizabeth, 7, Michael, 5, and Victoria, 1.

"She (Victoria) had a great time," Benedetto said. "She's all pooped out now, but during the concert she was bouncing so much I could hardly hold her."