October 19, 2008
At 1:30 and 4:00pm
The Hilbert Circle Theatre

The world premiere of

Leslie Stifelman, Executive Producer & Conductor
Andrew Morreale, Video Direction and Editing
Melissa Rae Mahon, Concert Direction and Associate Producer
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

Featuring performances and videos by kids from the Finding The Groove Online Network

with
Tony Ponella, vocalist
Victoria Ponella, harp
Darron Marble, vocalist
Shelby Enlow, trumpet

and
Brian Allen, Leah Arrensen, Eric Arrensen, Hannah Boswell, Nathan Canfield, Han Chang, Won Chang, Luke Dow, Erika Dow, Nile Hairston, Morris Kimble III, Jeremy Klotz, Sarah Klotz, Maria Sarah Lysandrou, Helena Patricia Lysandrou, Emma Morone, Jameel Martin, Joilyn Martin, Julian Martin, Robert Meya, Athena Nagel, Julia Ponella, Bethany Reid, Trevor Rood, Malcolm Saloane, Andrew Stein

The Asante Children’s Theatre Inter-Generational Kwanzaa Community Choir
Deborah Asante, Founder/Artistic Director
Vincent Howard, Music Director

The Avon High School Band Program
Jay Webb, Director of Bands
Matt Harloff, Assistant Director of Bands
Jeff Queen, Percussion Caption Head

The Brownsburg High School Madrigal Singers
Deborah Prather, Director

Finding The Groove is made possible in part with the generous support of
the NAMM Foundation, Support Music.com and the Alsop Family Foundation

This world premiere performance of Finding the Groove was created in partnership by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Music For All and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
with special thanks to MUSIC CROSSROADS

What’s new with Finding the Groove:

Finding The Groove is a ground-breaking on-line music network for all kids ages 14 and under, at all levels of skill from beginner on up, who are playing instruments, singing or composing in any style. At www.findingthegroove.com kids can post and share their musical stories on a safe network designed for them. Finding The Groove is a great place for students to share their own music videos and ideas about the music in their lives.

Over the past six months the site has had thousands of visitors and hundreds of registered users sign up to share their music videos. The Finding the Groove Network of children represents a huge variety of kids and the breadth of how they learn about music, whether it is at home, at school, with their friends and family or with many community organizations that reach out to help underserved students.

From those talented users several unique children have been chosen to perform.  Based not only on their skill as musicians but also for their breadth of originality, they celebrate the many ways that kids from diverse backgrounds across the state are making music an integral part of their lives and how each child is on their own path toward finding their own “groove” in both music and in life.

The world premiere of Finding The Groove™ is an Indiana statewide initiative in partnership with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and Music for All with special thanks to Music Crossroads. This program is made possible by the generous support of the NAMM Foundation and the Alsop Family Foundation. Finding The Groove™ marks the first statewide collaboration between one of America’s major orchestras, one of the world’s most highly respected music schools, and one of the nation’s most prominent music education organizations, all of which call Indiana home and are uniting to celebrate the important role music plays in the educational development of Indiana’s youth.

Andrew Morrealeis an Emmy® award-winning editor whose credits include: The Music In Me (HBO) Dare To Dream (HBO), I Have Tourette’s but Tourette’s Doesn’t Have Me (HBO),Happy to Be Nappy And Other Stories Of Me (HBO), Nine Innings From Ground Zero (HBO), Uncle Frank (also as Producer, HBO), The World Series Of Poker (ESPN). Recently he co-founded The Tre Amici Production Group, a Film and Theatre production company.

Melissa Rae Mahon is a Broadway veteran of six productions including The Producers, 42 Street, Cats, Sound of Music and can currently be seen in Chicago, where she has played almost every female role in the show, including Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly.  She has choreographed for theaters across the country from New Jersey to California to Florida and Texas. She was nominated for a Carbonelle award for Excellence in Choreography and directed and choreographed the national tour of Lullaby of Broadway.  Melissa has always felt that music was an essential part of her childhood, having been a dancer since she was two and she is very proud to have been asked to be part of "Finding the Groove".  It's been a pleasure to nurture this young and exciting talent.

The Asante Children’s Theatre of Indianapolis is a professional theatre organization committed to preserving the tradition of African and African-American performing arts, and thus, the Asante Children’s Theatre Kwanzaa Community Choir was developed as a way to create opportunities to explore the history and diversity of all musical genres and to revive the importance of Kwanzaa principles.  The goal of the group is to educate, empower and enlighten program participants and audiences through music, which has an appeal that crosses generational, gender and cultural lines, as well as to use it as a tool to reinforce Indiana’s Academic Standards by researching the historical origins of the works and the cultures that produced them.  The Choir comprises members of the Asante Children’s Theatre Academy, the Asante Touring Company, and local community voices under the direction of Mr. Vincent Howard.

Since 1993 the Avon High School Band Program has consistently been at the forefront of the scholastic pageantry activity and has earned numerous prestigious honors, including multiple state and national championships as well as being awarded the Sudler Shield in 2007.  Avon is recognized as one of the premier band programs in the Midwest and all aspects of the Band program strive to achieve at the highest national levels with participation in Winterguard International, Bands of America, and Indiana State School Music Association events, among others.  This superb record has been achieved under the artistic leadership and direction of Jay Webb, Matt Harloff, and Bob Burns. 

The Brownsburg High School Madrigal Singers is selected from sophomore, junior, and senior candidates who exhibit strong musical and vocal skills and a desire for excellence.  The ensemble performs at all concerts as well as community events and outside festivals and competitions.  This group competes regularly in ISSMA events, always earning top honors, as well as participating in Women’s Festivals at St. Mary’s Terre Haute, St. Mary’s South Bend and Butler University.  The Choir has been selected as a finalist in many area concert choir events, including competitions at North Central, Pike and Ben Davis.

Special Thanks
NAMM Foundation: Joe Lamond and Mary Luehrsen
Marin Alsop and the Alsop Family Foundation
Sara Fronczek, Indiana Department of Education
Lewis Ricci, Indiana Arts Commission
Susan Britisch, Indiana Arts Commission
Dee Jones, Indiana PTA
The Indiana Music Teachers National Association
The Indianapolis Children’s Museum

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: Simon Crookall, Tom Ramsey, Beth Outland, Carol Baker, Laura Spelde, Amylou Porter, Zach French, Mark Newman, Scott Harrison, Brian Spicklemiere, Cassie Goldstein, and Cathleen Custer

Music For All: Gayle Doster, Scott McCormick, Bob Morrison, Eric Martin, Nancy Carlson, Debbie Laferty Asbill, Laura Peters, Lynsy Meyers, Jeff Hartowitcz

The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music: Gwyn Richards, Tom Wieligman, Alain Barker

Music Crossroads: Matthew Carter

The 21C Media Group: Jessica Lustig and Sean Gross

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: Marin Alsop, Music Director; Mary Plaine, Principal Librarian

Techollage Interactive Corporation: Steve Franzken, President

Kenneth Freundlich
Phil Snedecor
Rob Krausz
Ella Frederickson
Paul Mckibbins

Rick Waggoner, Jay Webb and The Avon High School Band Program: Matt Harloff and Jeff Queen
Karen Waggoner and the Avon Middle School Band Program
Amanda Cornet, Fishers Junior High School

Deborah Asante, Keesha Dixon, Vincent Howard and all the folks at the Asante Children’s Theatre
Deborah Prather and the Brownsburg High School Choral Program
Liz Seidel, Founder and Artistic director of Pianoforte Inc. Dean Westman.