This week’s post is all about one of the Riesters’ favorite family outings – music! Brooke and I had the wonderful opportunity to treat our families to two different kinds of concerts offered by the OKC Philharmonic this past fall. The Riesters enjoyed the Discovery Concert Series Phil’s Monster Mash, and the Barnetts got their groove on at the POPS Series Disco Days and Boogie Nights. This week we are joining our Weekend Warrior forces to introduce you to two different offerings by this very talented group of musicians.
Discovery Concert Series, by Sara
As two professional musicians, my husband and I are always on the lookout for ways to share our love of music, especially classical, with our children. Let’s just face facts, here. Small children are noisy. They are antsy. They just don’t have a sense of when it is not appropriate to talk in their loudest voice about their boogers. Even my musically-minded six-year old gets weary of being still and quiet after over an hour of doing so. So how do you give your children an opportunity to learn about and practice what it means to be a good audience member while being exposed to really good, quality music performed by highly talented musicians?
Take them to a Discover Series Concert performed by the OKC Philharmonic at the Civic Center Music Hall!
We arrived early to enjoy the pre-concert fun in the lobby which included the Instrument Playground where kids can try out all of the instruments of the orchestra, Conductor’s Corner, meet the performers and more. All of these activities begin at 1pm and are FREE with ticket purchase.
Both of my children enjoyed the concert and were engaged the whole way through. Brief musical selections, visual elements and interactive portions of the concerts make Discovery Series Concerts a great way to introduce young children to music. The duration of the concerts is only an hour, which is the perfect length for shorter attention spans.
Best of all, since these concerts are geared towards children, we didn’t have to worry getting the stink eye from other concert goers if the kids had some ants in their pants or they felt the need to announce, “Mom, there’s a tuba over there!”
Upcoming Discovery Concerts:
January 27
Discovery Concert Series: America the Beautiful presented by the OKC Philharmonic at the Civic Center Music Hall features great American anthems, songs and music. Instrument playground and activities one hour before show time. $9. 2pm.
April 7
Discovery Concert Series: Sugar Free Allstars! presented by the OKC Philharmonic at the Civic Center Music Hall features “Boom” and “Dr. Rock” as they meet the orchestra. Instrument playground and activities one hour before show time. $9. 2pm.
POPS Concert Series, by Brooke
This ain't your grandmother's Philharmonic! If you are looking for a fun date night, look no further than the Phil's POPS series! At the Disco Days & Boogie Nights production, the hardest thing about the show was staying in our seats. Showcasing the best of the 70's disco era, Disco Days featured hit song after hit song, plus the stories behind them and insight into the era itself. We enjoyed the outstanding music, the outrageous costumes and the unforgettable singing—making for a truly unique, memorable and totally groovy night on the town!
If you'd like to enjoy a special night out with your sweetie, the next intallment of the POPS series features the mega-hits of the King of Pop. Be sure to catch one of these upcoming POPS performances:
January 25–26
The Music of Michael Jackson presented by the OKC Philharmonic at the Civic Center Music Hall. $15+. 8pm.
February 22–23
Cole Porter Songbook: Anything Goes! at the Civic Center Music Hall features music by Cole Porter with special guest musicians. $15+. 8pm.
For more information, call 842-5387 or visit www.okcphilharmonic.org.
Enjoy the music!
Brooke and Sara
