By Dale Chambers
One of the Los Gatos Arts Commission's projects is the annual summer series of musical concerts in the Town Plaza. Each year, Music in the Plaza is produced to meet the social and cultural needs of the entire family.
Over the past eight years, this series has focused on concerts that have a direct positive effect overall and are appealing and accessible to our community's residents. The funding has come from the town's community grant program, the Los Gatos Downtown Association, local merchants, corporate donations and in-kind donations from the community at large. All of these past concerts have been free for the enjoyment and entertainment of those who attend.
Music in the Plaza is one of the most visible and delightful projects the Arts Commission develops every year. This series is enjoyed by families, friends, children and seniors, from throughout the town and surrounding areas. It serves the arts through the presentation of world music and promotes local talent within the community. Music in the Plaza is a community project, supported by the entire community.
Our goals for the '96 series will be to encourage the development and promotion of music for our entire community by providing:
* musical performances that meet the highest quality artistic standards,
* a carefully thought-out music program series for the whole family, where community members can share in a weekly planned event for an invigorating common experience,
* concerts that unite both informative and pleasurable music in a variety of styles and forms, of multi-ethnic and cultural origins.
This year, we plan to provide a 10-concert series during the months of June, July and August through the world of music, a language everyone can appreciate, understand and learn from. We're also working on offering performances on Sunday afternoons, and possibly other weekend times, so everyone can enjoy this small-town tradition.
Music in the Plaza, however, shall realize another successful year only if the needed community in-kind donations, sponsorships and grants come forward in a timely manner. Each year, Music in the Plaza presents the Arts Commission with a new challenge for adequate funding. For 1996, our fundraising and grant efforts have already started with a vigorous effort for new funding opportunities. To be able to achieve our 10-concert series, our funding goals must exceed $12,000. We are now making the community, various merchant organizations and corporate sponsors aware of our funding needs for this year's series. With funding limitations on all of the town's commissions, new sources of funding must be found to complete this year's 10-concert goal.
The Arts Commission's Music in the Plaza committee is currently developing and working with local musical groups so that our per-concert costs can be held to a minimum without jeopardizing or compromising quality. We have been very pleased with the input, so far, of the various groups interested in helping us complete this year's series. We are accepting promotional material and recorded tapes for each group's consideration until April 15. After this cut-off date, we will be able to evaluate each group's musical style so that we can provide a well-balanced summer series.
While each musical style will have an opportunity to be reviewed by our committee, we are trying to focus on the following: classic jazz, country & western, marching band, New Age, multi-ethnic styles and instrumentation, rock & roll/pop/American oldies, blues/jazz, classical piano in concert, children's music and puppet-show entertainment, Brazilian, folk and choir music.
Our committee is also looking into other weekend times that these performances might benefit a wider audience. Under consideration is having a concert either during or just after the Sunday farmers' market in the plaza. We are looking into having possibly two concerts during a day and even a Saturday afternoon children's concert and puppet show event. We are looking forward this year to keeping some of the old traditions and exploring new avenues for everyone's enjoyment.
Now that the Villa Montalvo and Paul Mason concert tickets have gotten to the $40-$50 range, our free concerts, promoting local talent, provide a great opportunity for all community members to enjoy an afternoon of family fun.
The Arts Commission is dedicated to ensuring Music in the Plaza '96 is a vital community arts project. Although there are no costs for attending audiences, the costs of presenting the concerts are increasing. We must have contributions from all sectors of the community to present a wonderful summer music series.
People in the community can support Music in the Plaza by sending contributions or musical tapes for evaluation to: Music in the Plaza, c/o The Los Gatos Arts Commission, 208 E. Main St., Los Gatos, 95032.
Those who donate $25, $50, $100 or more to Music in the Plaza will receive a bronze, silver, or gold pin inscribed with musical notes and the initials "MIP."
We truly appreciate your consideration and participation in this extraordinary summer community tradition!
Dale Chambers is a member of the Los Gatos Arts Commission and the Music in the Plaza Committee.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, February 28, 1996.
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