TEN GRANDS FOR KIDS

ATTENTION - I have already requested tickets for our group. However, I'll leave this info up in case others would like to get a group of their own together.

A friend and I are hoping to take our kids to a free concert called Ten Grands For Kids, but we need you to join us. The performance will be on Friday, April 2, 2010 from 9:45-11:00am. The catch? We need at least twenty students (plus their chaperones) in order to get tickets. We've got some already, but we're wondering if you would like to join us.

Here is some info about the performance.

I sending this flyer to you today regarding a free concert at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall this spring that Michael Allen Harrison and the Snowman Foundation are offering to Portland area students. I am attaching the 2010 flyer regarding the concert for you to distribute to all teachers and faculty that may be interested in participating in this fabulous event!!

As you may know, Ten Grands is an amazing concert that happens each spring at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The concert raises money for the Snowman Foundation, Michael's organization that supports music programs in the Portland area and beyond. Last year, he created a kid's show by adding some of Portland's finest prodigies to the roster, shortening the show to one hour and 15 minutes, opening the concert hall during the day and offering the show for free to students, teachers and chaperones. The results were astounding. From kindergarten to high school, the responses were the same.....awe-struck students sent cards by the hundreds expressing their amazement at the concert and gratitude to Michael for the experience.

Michael is offering Ten Grands for Kids again this year, and would like to invite your school to attend. He has expanded it to 4 shows, meaning that we have the capacity to reach nearly 12,000 kids, which we are really excited about!! As of now, we are able to reserve as many seats as you would like. Simply send me an email with the number of students, teachers and chaperones that would like to attend the show, which concert you would like to attend and I will block off a section for your school.

Michael is a strong believer in the necessity of music education for every child, and he does not want anyone to miss out on music because of finances. This is the reason he started the Snowman Foundation over ten years ago, and this concert is an extension of this belief. It is his desire to expose thousands of kids to music!


Now back to me. Please keep in mind this is intended for school-aged kids. In fact, knowing some you moms of littles would want to come, I've already gotten that point clarified. Here's the scoop.


This concert is specifically designed and presented for the purpose of inspiring young music lovers and possibly spark an interest in a young child to pick up an instrument! It is not designed to be a free outing for young mommies with babies, toddlers or preschoolers.

And, in regards to little ones, please, please, please tell your mommies that this is a field trip opportunity for kids ages K - 12. If their little ones are squirmy or would not enjoy sitting through a concert, then no one around them will enjoy it either. I don't want to place a ban on little ones, because there always is that exception, but I am telling homeschool families to please be considerate of the audience and of your child in this regard. Don't put your child through an uncomfortable experience which will only cause a ripple effect.

And I'm back again. In my opinion, there are few things more annoying than a child who won't quietly sit still in an audience or congregation or as inconsiderate as a parent who thinks their kiddo's antics are more important than everyone else being able to concentrate, so please use discernment in deciding which kids to bring. The woman who is in charge of the tickets has homeschooled her kids too, so she's not trying to be difficult. She just wants the concert to be a positive experience for everyone. Okey dokey?

Homeschoolers are in a tricky spot, as the mom of littles is also the teacher for the bigs, but if your littles will ruin the outing for everyone else, then just get a sitter. Everyone will have more fun that way!

Lecture over.

I know some schools are out on 4/2/10, so this invitation is not limited to homeschoolers. Anyone with school-aged children is welcome to join our group. If you want to get on the list, then shoot me an e-mail (bethanyandtim @ yahoo . com) with the number of adults and kids that will be coming.

There are three other performances. In case the one we're working on doesn't fit into your schedule, then try and get a group together for one of the others. Here they are.

4/1/10 from 9:45-11:00
4/1/10 from 11:45-1:00
4/2/10 from 11:45-1:00