Local 33 hosted its first ever community event, the Tucson Youth Music Fair, on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at the Tucson Symphony Center. The Music Fair was designed to be a fun and educational opportunity for children and families to explore the many musical resources Tucson has to offer. Over 200 people — including kids of all ages, parents, and grandparents — attended this unique afternoon of musical fun and discovery! Participants had the opportunity to play in masterclasses, create homemade instruments, experiment with composition and “found sounds,” attend Music Together classes, and experience live musical performances. The centerpiece of the event was the Instrument Petting Zoo, where kids could touch, play, honk, strum, bang, and generally create quite a ruckus. Thanks to the generosity of our members and four Tucson music shops, several dozen types of instruments were represented at the zoo.
Hosting this first public event was a huge undertaking for Local 33, and we learned a tremendous amount in the process of organizing it. The feedback from our members and the public has been overwhelmingly positive, signaling that the Music Fair was a great success! One of the key reasons for hosting this community event was to raise awareness about Local 33’s presence in Tucson. We want to bring attention to the critical role professional musicians play in the cultural and educational life of our city, as well as exhibit the skills and services our members have to offer. The Music Fair was promoted through several media outlets, including an article in the AZ Daily Star, an advertisement and article in the Tucson Weekly, public radio spots, online community calendars, blogs, email blasts to music teachers and band directors, and flyers posted around town. Creating this presence in the local media continues to be a long-term goal of the Local 33 Executive Board. We are planning to build this awareness and translate it into increased teaching opportunities and gig referrals for our members.
The Music Fair was also an occasion for all members of Tucson’s musical community. to showcase their organizations and services. Youth music programs and local music shops were on hand to distribute information and sell merchandise. A few special touches made the Music Fair especially festive. Balloons, popcorn, three flavors of Eegee’s ices, and fun prizes were enjoyed by all.
We absolutely could not have made this event happen without the help of our members! We would like to especially thank the volunteers who staffed activities and masterclasses, brought instruments, donated prizes, gave performances, served refreshments, and helped clean up. A special thanks to: Mike Becker, Cassandra Bendickson, Jayson Blake, Andy Braden, Don Bourque, Rebecca Cain, Jessica Campbell, Ellen Chamberlain, Yvonne Creanga, Alicia Hagerman, Fred Hayes, Pierre Herbineaux, Adrienne Horne, Mike Levy, Paul Kalman, David Morgan, Paula Redinger, Dieter Schodde, Holly Schurr, Mike Sherline, Victor Valenzuela, and Howard Wooten. We are especially grateful to Local 33 member Emma Votapek, who coordinated the petting zoo. The Local 33 Executive Board also did a huge amount of work which included planning, arranging business sponsorships, and distributing flyers. Thank you to our awesome board members: Moisés Paiewonsky, Deena Reedy, Laura Stoutenborough, and Jay Vosk.
The Music Fair was sponsored by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Music Store, Coyote Music Together, Eegee’s, Instrumental Music Center, Metro Gnome Music, Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus, Tucson Junior Strings, and Zoran’s Violin Shop. Peter Wilko of Time Market generously donated food for our musicians. It was great to initiate relationships with all of these groups, and we hope to work together with them in the future.
If you have any ideas or suggestions regarding the Music Fair or any other future events, please talk to one of your Executive Board members!