July 11th, 2011
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Author: The neighborhood will be coming alive with music this summer as the Wissahickon Summer Pops program starts another season.
The Pops is a six-week summer program for young musicians from grades 4 through 11 from any public or private schools, where they learn new music and enhance their skills. The program is broken into two sections: three weeks of practice, four times a week, and three weeks of concerts.
“The kids go so far in such a short amount of time,” Francine Litz, whose daughter has played in the Pops for four years, said. “Just the change from the beginning show to the last [is amazing].”
This year, the Pops has gone through several changes, from losing its director and gaining two new ones to adding new venues.
“There’s a lot more work involved,” Ken Miller, the new co-director of the Pops, said. “[But] it’s great fun. I’ve always looked forward to it.”
After last season, the position of director was vacant and the program was on the verge of ending.
“We didn’t want to see this thing just go away,” Miller said. “One of the string teachers, David Morgan, and I are co-directors now.”
Both had been involved with the program before becoming directors. Miller, who is a professional musician and does not teach at the school, had worked with the percussion section and Morgan with the strings. Each also works another program during the Pops: Miller does the Morning Jazz Workshop and Morgan the Suzuki Strings Week, July 11 to 15.
The program will also be adding two new public concert locations: Morris Arboretum and Independence Mall. On Thursday, July 21, the Pops will be playing at Morris Arboretum at 6:30 p.m. While the show is free, there is an entrance fee into the arboretum. Then for its last show, the Pops will play a free concert July 28 at Independence Mall at 10:00 a.m.
“We’ve got a good mix of the old and the new,” Miller said.
The Pops will also play at some of their traditional spots, such as in the neighborhoods of Ambler and Broad Axe and at the Blue Bell Library.
“The first concert was across the street from us,” Litz said about the Ambler neighborhood show. “We started seeing them 20 years ago.”
Miller said that one of the reasons he wanted to keep the program going was because of the kids. Continued…
“We always have a lot of kids who have a lot of fun,” he said. “They’re not [here] if they don’t want to be. All these kids who are here are here because they want to learn to play their instrument better.”
This year, the kids will play 10 pieces they learned during the three-week practices and all fitting the theme of the ’60s; and they’re not just playing 1960s music either. According to Miller, they’ve learned pieces from 1960, 1860, 1760 and 1560.
“It’s really a nice mix of different styles of music,” Miller said.
The outdoor concerts have no rain dates. Aside from the entrance fee into Morris Arboretum, the concerts are free. The outdoor concerts do not have seating, so it is suggested to bring a lawn chair or blanket.
“It’s a really rewarding experience,” Miller said. “There are no winners and losers in music.”
IF YOU GO
The Wissahickon Summer Pops
will perform 12 shows
from July 11 to 28
at local venues in
Ambler, Oxford Park,
Morris Arboretum &
Blue Bell Library. Continued…
The neighborhood will be coming alive with music this summer as the Wissahickon Summer Pops program starts another season.
The Pops is a six-week summer program for young musicians from grades 4 through 11 from any public or private schools, where they learn new music and enhance their skills. The program is broken into two sections: three weeks of practice, four times a week, and three weeks of concerts.
“The kids go so far in such a short amount of time,” Francine Litz, whose daughter has played in the Pops for four years, said. “Just the change from the beginning show to the last [is amazing].”
This year, the Pops has gone through several changes, from losing its director and gaining two new ones to adding new venues.
“There’s a lot more work involved,” Ken Miller, the new co-director of the Pops, said. “[But] it’s great fun. I’ve always looked forward to it.”
After last season, the position of director was vacant and the program was on the verge of ending.
“We didn’t want to see this thing just go away,” Miller said. “One of the string teachers, David Morgan, and I are co-directors now.”
Both had been involved with the program before becoming directors. Miller, who is a professional musician and does not teach at the school, had worked with the percussion section and Morgan with the strings. Each also works another program during the Pops: Miller does the Morning Jazz Workshop and Morgan the Suzuki Strings Week, July 11 to 15.
The program will also be adding two new public concert locations: Morris Arboretum and Independence Mall. On Thursday, July 21, the Pops will be playing at Morris Arboretum at 6:30 p.m. While the show is free, there is an entrance fee into the arboretum. Then for its last show, the Pops will play a free concert July 28 at Independence Mall at 10:00 a.m.
“We’ve got a good mix of the old and the new,” Miller said.
The Pops will also play at some of their traditional spots, such as in the neighborhoods of Ambler and Broad Axe and at the Blue Bell Library.
“The first concert was across the street from us,” Litz said about the Ambler neighborhood show. “We started seeing them 20 years ago.”
Miller said that one of the reasons he wanted to keep the program going was because of the kids.
“We always have a lot of kids who have a lot of fun,” he said. “They’re not [here] if they don’t want to be. All these kids who are here are here because they want to learn to play their instrument better.”
This year, the kids will play 10 pieces they learned during the three-week practices and all fitting the theme of the ’60s; and they’re not just playing 1960s music either. According to Miller, they’ve learned pieces from 1960, 1860, 1760 and 1560.
“It’s really a nice mix of different styles of music,” Miller said.
The outdoor concerts have no rain dates. Aside from the entrance fee into Morris Arboretum, the concerts are free. The outdoor concerts do not have seating, so it is suggested to bring a lawn chair or blanket.
“It’s a really rewarding experience,” Miller said. “There are no winners and losers in music.”
IF YOU GO
The Wissahickon Summer Pops
will perform 12 shows
from July 11 to 28
at local venues in
Ambler, Oxford Park,
Morris Arboretum &
Blue Bell Library.
Concerts are free.
For dates and times,
contact David Morgan
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