The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Music School performers rehearse for the big show, which played to four packed crowds last weekend.

Energizers

Face forward, sing loud and for heaven's sake SMILE

By Mike De Give

It's nearly show time, and the Voices of America crew knows the drill by now.

They've learned the lyrics, rehearsed the choreography for weeks and memorized the most important rule of all:

"Smiling," confides Christina Edberg, 7.

"Yeah," agrees Trevor Ezaki, 6 1/2. "That's the hardest part."

Well, not so hard, it turns out. One-hundred-forty students from The Music School put on a dazzling review last weekend, zapped with a zillion jigawats of energy, jazzed with 10 tons of oomph and crammed full of smiles, smiles and more smiles.

The show, written by Music School teacher Jill Denny, was performed at four sold-out shows, with music, dancing and costumes covering the decades from 1850 to the 1970s.

The show goes like this: About a half-dozen young performers get mixed up with The Professor (Nick Patton), who is experimenting with time travel. Turns out The Professor doesn't have all the bugs worked out of his time machine, and before getting back to 1997--in the nick of time for Act I of the show at The Presbyterian Church of Sunnyvale--the time travelers check in on musical venues throughout recent history.

"We have to be real groovy," explained Trevor backstage, decked out in tie-dye and blue jeans. He and Christina, who wore beads, scarves and flowers in her hair, were part of a gaggle of hippies who performed "Age of Aquarius," "Hair" and "She Loves You" during the 1960s scene.

"It's real old stuff, you should really enjoy it," Christie assured a rather decrepit reporter in his early 30s.

Other scenes included a vaudeville act from the 1930s (best joke: Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon? The food's great, but there's no atmosphere); a 1940s radio performance of Thriller Theatre (complete with commercials for Burma Shave, Burma Shave, Burma Shave); and a jaunt into the 1950s for an appearance by Elvis Presley (Brendon Verissimo), who reached valiantly for the low notes in "Teddy Bear."

The performance combined talent from several different classes at the school, said Doris Harry, director of The Music School.

The school, which opened when Proposition 13 cuts canceled music programs in Sunnyvale schools, will celebrate its 20th anniversary later this year. It began with 13 kids in 1977. Now there are more than 600.

"Music is a way to reach the soul," said Harry. "We don't want to be the only alternative for music in town. We're supposed to be a supplement. But the kids can't get music any other way."

Students range from 1 to 67 years old. The School is sponsored by The Presbyterian Church of Sunnyvale, but anyone is welcome. Students from Cupertino and Los Altos also attend the school.

"We never turn a kid down because he can't afford to go here," Harry said. "We will find a sponsor for that child."

The school gives instruction on various instruments, history, rhythm, singing and classical music.

And, for the big show, the teachers will also teach you to smile--big time.

For information about The Music School call 739-9248.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, May 7, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.