Month: September 2014

For this performance, the Symphony joined forces with a local restaurant, The Mexico, to honor members of the San Bernardino Police Officers Association.

“Essentially, we wanted to also recognize the ‘virtuosic’ efforts of local public safety officers,” said Judith Valles, Symphony board president.

A major focus for Fetta and the Symphony Guild is music education, which in this organization’s case, takes a number of positive forms. To date, the program has introduced orchestral instruments to more than 90,000 third-grade students. Trios of musicians have held workshops for fourth and fifth grade classes engaging students in collaborative teamwork, focusing on symphonic music, use of instruments, and music related careers.

Mastro Frank Fetta also meets with orchestra classes in multiple middle and high schools each year to assign a piece of music for the students to learn alongside their teacher. Several weeks later, he returns to work with the class in making the rendition performance ready. The students and their families are provided with tickets for the next Symphony performance and are invited to the post-concert reception to spend more time with the Maestro and other musicians bringing the experience full-circle.

Each year, the Symphony also provides a free student concert. In response to the educational community’s request for a concert relevant to K-12 studies, this year, the Symphony will perform what is proving to be a very popular concert: in honor of Black History Month.  Musical Genius in America celebrates the music of William Grant Still, Scott Joplin, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin.

Along with the season schedule is a lineup of musical concerts and events held in various venues around the county including Mosaico, a collection of popular favorites and regional songs from different parts of Mexico. Mosaico has already been performed at Cal State San Bernardino and at the City of Fontana’s Summer Music Festival. An upcoming Mosaico concert is planned for the Roosevelt Bowl at Perris Hill Park on May 3rd. Perris Hill Park is a historic 1,800-seat outdoor amphitheater in a natural setting built and dedicated in 1934 as part of the Federal Work Progress Administration. This is a memorable venue for the last of the Mosaico concerts.

Funding for the Symphony is garnered through sponsors, subscriptions, events, grants, and programs like “Adopt-A-Musician.” This unique program allows members of the audience a direct interface with Symphony performers. Donors, called Adopters, receive information about their musician Adoptee, a commemorative musician card on a lanyard to wear at concerts, and invitations to exclusive “Adopt-A-Musician” events and after-concert parties. They also receive bi-monthly updates on other performances by Symphony musicians.

Season and individual tickets for the San Bernardino Symphony may be purchased by calling 909-381-5388, on line at www.sanbernardinosymphony.org, or by visiting the symphony box office at 198 N. Arrowhead Ave., San Bernardino. Tickets are also available with limited availability at the theater box office the evening of each event.

Kim Stringfellow: All of these! Many contemporary artists are documenting the cultural landscape and notions of place within their work. My artistic practice is research based. I use field research methods of cultural geographers to closely examine the sites I am interested in as a subject. All of these topics and themes can be documented visually through photography and film as well as through other media such as writing and audio. I work as a transmedia artist with my projects, disseminating them in a variety of ways including printed publications and installation exhibits each with their own unique presentation of the subject. Part of this project is about sharing my documentation as I’m conducting research in an effort to involve my audience while the project is being created. Keep in mind that this project has just begun and will be conducted over a 2 to 3 year period so there is a lot to cover!

KJ: Can you explain what “Desert Dispatchers” are?

KS: Desert Dispatches are what I’m calling my bi-monthly in-depth blog installments for the project. These will focus on a variety of subjects related to the Mojave Desert and will be conducted over a 2 to 3 year research period. I hope to keep people interested in the project month to month by mixing the topics up. For instance, I may do a piece on amateur rocketry clubs in the desert for one installment and then contrast this with one concerning Devil’s Hole pupfish at Ash Meadows for the next. Many of these dispatches will include an audio feature. The Desert Dispatches are co-published through the project website at mojaveproject.org and through KCET Artbound.

KJ: What were some vital things you’ve learned so far while creating this project? Either about the location, yourself or a combination?

KS: Well, I’ve just launched the project this month so it’s a bit early to comment. Still, through my initial research I’ve learned a lot so far. In fact, so much that I can’t wait to share it with the public.

So please sign-up to receive notification for the Desert Dispatches at mojaveproject.org. Keep your ears open and eyes peeled as Stringfellow’s The Mojave Project continues to unfold.