February is shaping up to be a very busy month for the BEACON Moab Strings Program, with three big events planned between now and Feb. 27.
On Thursday, Feb. 12, the program’s students will be performing their Winter Recital at Helen M. Knight Elementary, 505 N. MiVida Drive. This recital focuses on the beginning students from the HMK and Moab Charter School campuses and the Second Year/ Advanced students from HMK.
The Seventh Grade Strings Class from Grand County Middle School will also be performing at the recital. The class – the first strings class offered in many years as an elective at the middle school – is not part of the BEACON Afterschool Program. However, several musicians in that class also perform with BEACON Moab String Program groups.
The following week, the BEACON Moab String Orchestra will be traveling to Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Feb. 17 to perform in the Rotunda of the Utah State Capitol, for the “Arts Day on the Hill.” Jason Bowcutt of the Utah Division of Arts and Museums extended the invitation to perform and helped coordinate the trip up to the capitol building.
On Friday, Feb. 27 from 3 to 4:30 p.m., BEACON will hold the Second Fiddler Improv Workshop for string orchestra and advanced students, as well as parents and adult musicians from the community.
The focus of the workshop is to get young, local musicians playing in inter-generational groups, jamming with musicians young and old. All instrumentation is welcome.
The workshop, which will be held in the Grand County Middle School band room, will be given by Moab String Orchestra sectional coach and assistant conductor Tamara Freida. Local professional guitarist and mandolin player Eric Jones will assist her, alongside Grand district employee and musician Curt Southall, who plays guitar, dobro, ukes and banjo.
The workshop is free, but a “free will” offering basket will be available for contributions to the BEACON Moab Strings Program. Four fiddle TABS, with guitar chords, etc., will be available before the workshop begins. Interested local musicians who would like to participate should contact Nanci Flesher by calling the BEACON Middle School Office, 435-259-2767.
Orchestra will perform at HMK on Feb. 12
