Spokane Public Radio would like to thank everyone involved in our 30th Anniversary celebration with Musha Marimba at Shadle Park.
Thanks to:
- Musha Marimba and The Enrichment Cooperative at Bryant School.
- Shadle Park, City of Spokane Parks and Recreation, and the Shadle Branch of Spokane Public Library.
- Event donors Rocket Bakeries, STCU, and Harvard Park Children’s Learning Center, North.
- Jaye Nordling, Eddie White, and Micaela's Fancy Faces
- Verne Windham, and Kathy Sackett
- Hearn Brothers and School District 81
- Spokane Public Radio volunteers, staff, and the members of Spokane Public Radio.
About KPBX Kids' Concerts
Doing the Limbo under the blazing sun in the park, Celtic dancing in the spring, swinging to jumpin’ Jazz, getting down with 70’s Funk and swaying to Strauss waltzes to celebrate the New Year are just a few of the experiences KPBX Kids’ Concerts have brought to the kids of our area over the last 30 years. It's been a pleasure and an educational experience for us all.
The concerts began with a request to produce a short series of summer concerts in Riverfront Park and our desire to turn that request into concerts that would educate, entertain and cultivate a future audience for the arts. The station also hoped to introduce kids to music and culture new to them and provide fun, free family activities.
Verne Windham, SPR’s previous Music Director believes the concerts are as relevant as ever. “These days a parent wonders when and how to introduce the curious child to musical concerts," he said. “The crying baby in the string quartet concert isn’t too popular. There needs to be a better way. Oh, it’s the KPBX Kids’ Concert. In these everyone understands the range of young people and their possible reactions. The occasional whimper or outburst is just part of the event. And sometimes the unexpected becomes a happening, as in the spontaneous mosh pit at the front of St. John’s Cathedral for a Brass Band concert. Or the kids moving inexorably toward the Irish band at Riverside Place. These concerts make being an audience member a natural part of arts involvement. We are all drawn together.”
Windham also said, “ Another of the great values of the program was the concerts in which kids themselves presented the music. Whether the Spokane Area Youth Choirs, the Spokane Youth Orchestra, or MusicFest Northwest winners these provided relevant inspiration for kids in the audience as well as solid experience for the performers themselves.”
After 30 years there’s just too many people to thank individually, although we always do after each concert. However every musician, dancer, music organization, venue, sound person, printer, school district, business, volunteer, staff and audience member has done their part to keep the Kids’ Concert evolving and growing. Also, without our event underwriters and grantors over the years, there would be no KPBX Kids’ Concerts. We hope you know how much we all appreciate your inspirational acts. Spokane Public Radio and generations of Kids’ Concert goers thank you all. Bravo!
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