Join us at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, November 12 at 3:00 pm as we present an interactive and engaging concert for the whole family! 

 

This delightful program will take you on a journey through the instruments of the orchestra, exploring sounds and stories along the way, and ending with a dance party “Under the Sea”.

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One hour in length (no intermission), and encouraging movement and laughter, this concert is a wonderful first orchestral experience for the young and young-at-heart!

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Arrive at 2:00 pm and meet our friends from Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia (SOGO), who will have a “petting zoo” of instruments to try out! They'll stick around after the concert too! 

 

THE MUSIC

• Gregory Smith: Tempus Fugit quickly introduces the instruments of the orchestra by describing the whimsical modes of transportation they used to travel to the concert.

• Gregory Smith: The Animated Orchestra tells the tale of Ari, a ferret who sneaks into an instrument repair shop late one night and discovers a playful paradise, full of interesting instruments to explore!

• Maurice Ravel: Mother Goose Suite transports listeners into the enchanting world of fairy tales, drawing inspiration from the imaginative realm of children's literature.

• Alan Menken: Music from Disney’s The Little Mermaid closes the show, bringing the magical underwater world to life through the instruments of the orchestra. It’s a musical dance party you won’t want to miss!

 

THE CONDUCTOR: Bruce Walker (special guest)

Bruce Walker is an Associate Professor of Music at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, WA, and Music Director for the Walla Walla Symphony Youth Orchestra. In 2021 he was awarded Music Educator of the Year by the Washington Music Educators Association. During the summer months, Mr. Walker works throughout the United States and Canada at various Suzuki institutes, music camps, festivals, and retreats. Internationally, he has worked with the Youth Excellence on Stage Academy in collaboration with American Voices, a non-profit cultural exchange organization. Through this organization, he has conducted orchestras and taught cello in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.

Mr. Walker earned Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Education and Cello Performance from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a Master of Music degree from Central Washington University, focusing on Orchestral Conducting and Cello Performance. In the fall of 2019, he began his Doctor of Music Arts degree in Music Education through Boston University.

When not in the classroom, on the podium working with ensembles, or teaching cello lessons, he enjoys hiking and traveling around the Pacific Northwest, enjoying time outside around a BBQ pit and smoker sampling new culinary creations, or shopping for and admiring argyle socks.

 

TICKET PRICING

We invite you to select your own pricing for tickets. Base ticket pricing is $10 (adults), $5 (youth), and $0 (kids 5 and under).

 

If you wish to increase your ticket price in order to "pay it forward" and allow us to sponsor additional youth and families to attend at no cost, please select one of the $19, $28, $56, or $100 price types. These “sustaining” price types will include one admission (yours) to this concert.

 

Thank you for helping us to increase accessibility and work toward our goal of offering future family concerts at no charge.