Main Street

Composer keeping busy with music projects

By Mary Ann Cook

MUSIC TO OUR EARS: Composer Craig Bohmler is tuning up to answer several new commissions. One is from American Musical Theater to compose a musical for high schoolers for its Outreach Program. How to Make a Musical is scheduled to tour area high schools next year.

Bohmler will also be composing the music for a piece about Sarah Winchester of Winchester Mystery House fame for a San Jose Repertory production. This one is slated to appear in the fall of 2003; then there's the music to be created for the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, another commission.

Meanwhile, Bohmler is directing the orchestra for Gretel and Hansel, the Shakespeare Santa Cruz holiday production. It uses his music, too, with book and lyrics by Kate Hawley. The takeoff on the fairy tale will play until Dec. 16.

Though appropriate for the whole family, it's bawdy and has topical references. The cast is made up of both Equity and student performers. Animals and a Dame played by a man appear in the panto, an English Christmas tradition. In this rendition, the cats, Tom and Kitten Caboodle, hang out in the "Glitter Box" and "Puss and Booze."

Hawley's lyrics were one of the things that attracted Bohmler to the project. He composed 14 songs for Gretel and Hansel.

TREE PLANTER: Los Gatos has its own Johnny Appleseed. Only this one doesn't stick to seeding apple trees. He plants all manner of trees wherever a tree is needed. He's Graham Burrows, originally from England. He enjoys tree planting, he says, for the exercise.

He's not interested in health clubs or aerobics classes, and says his tree planting is an exercise that is healthy for both town and planter. So far he's planted 99 trees in Los Gatos, mainly in residential areas between sidewalk and street and in every parking lot in town.

Burrows also regularly does maintenance work in Vasona Park and is part of the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce Beautification Committee. He'd like to hear from anyone who notices a town-owned spot where a tree or replacement tree is needed. His phone number is 408.358.9312, and email is gcburrows@aol.com.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Samaritan House in San Mateo, a center for the needy, was robbed shortly before Thanksgiving. One Los Gatos pediatrician was so enraged at this turn of events that she took it upon herself to replace the stolen goods.

In one day's time of soliciting donations, she accumulated enough to buy 40 turkeys and all the trimmings and deliver them to Samaritan House. She wants to remain anonymous, but as informant Joan Cottle says, "If you figure each turkey served 10 people, then she made a difference to 400 people. Who says one person can't make a difference?"

NEW BOOK: This reporter always thought there were three things that never changed: death, taxes and violins. But obviously I didn't know enough about the subject, even though I studied violin for 10 years. Now comes a new book called The Contemporary Violin, written by Los Gatans Allen and Pat Strange, to set us straight.

Allen founded the electro-acoustic music program at SJSU and taught computer music there for 32 years. Pat is a concert pianist, and her master's thesis dealt with the new music made possible by computers and electronic equipment. The new technology meant that music went through a resurgence wherein totally new sounds could be produced.

The Stranges tour with their contemporary music in the summer, in Europe and elsewhere, performing his compositions, which are very experimental in nature. Allen Strange has recently retired from teaching to devote more time to composing.

CASA ESSAY WINNERS: David Wang of LGHS won first place in the recent Community Against Substance Abuse essay contest; Stephanie Murray won second place; and Navneet Hakhu, third. The winners from Fisher were Stephanie Saffouri, first; Eric McDonald, second; and Brad Thornton, third .

From C.T. English, Claire McLeod won first; Danny Foster, second; and Matt Snee, third. Winners at St. Marys were: Jenna Roe, first; Christine Grubb, second; and Emily Machado, third. Rolling Hills awarded Sadia Dimbill, first; Molly Drucker Rice, second; and Britany McGee, third.

Elementary school winners were Patrick Stracey, first; and Jesse Quirazco, second. Both are Daves Avenue students. Third place was won by Lindsay Dickerson of St. Mary's. The essays addressed, "What affects your ability to make good choices about drinking, smoking and drug use?"

FOR REFUGEES: Donations of clothing, blankets, toys, household items and medical equipment are being accepted for Afghanistan refugees at the Hidaya Foundation, 1765 Scott Blvd., Santa Clara. It's open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The contact is Waseem Baloch, 408.244.3282.

SEARCH FOR UNDERSTANDING: Layne Hackett's Finding Understanding group will meet Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. at Chandler Tripp School behind Valley Medical Center. The purpose of the gathering is to further understanding between different cultures and religions.

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