John Blake Jr. Ensemble, Mark O'Connor's Appalachia Waltz Trio May 12, 2007

The Appalachia Waltz Trio and the John Blake, Jr. Ensemble perform together at the Independence Seaport Museum, located at 211 South Columbus Boulevard on Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia. Tickets are $35 for adults and $15 for students. The two ensembles explore the relationship between the many forms of bluegrass, jazz and classical music – what musical elements are alike and what are different, and how these disparate styles relate to the very diverse cultures in America. As O’Connor and Blake step in and out of different genres, they hope to demonstrate how music can offer opportunities to take chances and stretch beyond the familiar.

Founded in 1974, Musicopia (formerly Strings for Schools) presents over 700 programs per year, with a total yearly outreach to over 100,000 students and parents in approximately 200 different schools and communities. Musicopia focuses its outreach to geographical areas that lack adequate music programs or are cut off from the region’s rich cultural life. According to the Music Performance Fund (a division of the American Federation of Musicians), Musicopia is “the largest provider of outside music education resources for schools on the East Coast.”

This program is made possible by a grant from the Philadelphia Music Project, an Artistic Initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts, administered by the University of the Arts.

Official Website: http://www.musicopia.net