You’ve got to hand it to Helen Richman, who produces the Chocolate Chip Chamber Music series, which features professional musicians in engaging and interactive mini-concerts designed for 2-6 years olds.
The first show of the 2008 season, The Wonder Wind Saves the Day with the Sylvan Winds at Old First Reformed Church, impressed me very much.
Here’s the formula that works so well for this age group:
The concerts are comprised of an opening chocolate chip cookie theme song sing-along and a number of very brief musical selections performed by the musicians. "Baker Bobbie" (played by Jennifer Nelson) serves as the emcee and mascot and often finds her way out of a vexing situation with the help of the audience and the musicians. Performances end with instrument demonstrations, a hand-on experience for curious preschools, and a chocolate chip cookie for all in attendance.
I loved the script written by Charlotte Dooling, Hope Harris and Helen Richman and the clever, down to earth staging. Baker Bobbie’s sheet of cookies are stolen by Dr. Dissonance and it’s up to the Wonder Winds (Bassoon Boy, Friend or Foboe, French Hornet, Flute Lady and Captain Clarinet) to use their instruments to catch the theif.
In the process, the kids learned a little bit about each instrument, what dissonance is and listened to excerpts from a variety of pieces by Ligeti, Fancaix, Purcell, Nielson, Arnold, Lyadov and Farkas. There was plenty for the kids to do and at one point they were instructed to use their listening skills to really pay attention to a quiet lullaby by Anatoly Lyadov. All this in a half hour.
The musicians gave it their all: playing music, acting, even wearing superhero capes. And the audience seemed to enjoy just about everything. Especially the cookies at the end.
Kudos to everyone involved. I really think Helen and her team are on to something very special and educational for kids about classical music.
The next show is at A Pirates Treasure of Trumpets at the Dweck Center at the Brooklyn Public Library.
The Where and When
A Pirates Treasure of Trumpets
November 15 at 1 pm
Dweck Center at the Brooklyn Public Library (Grand Army Plaza)
These concerts are really wonderful and , fyi, they do tend to sell out.
I don’t think it’s really uncommon for there to be a “guest list” at events like this, and generally, the people on the guest list are accounted for before hand… so I doubt there was any fire code violation going on there.
I’d advise anyone planning to attend to arrive early to be sure you get a ticket.
We have attended the past 3 or 4 Chocolate Chamber Music concerts. We have generally been impressed and have appreciated the tot-friendly format. However, today we were disappointed when we arrived on time to find that the concert had sold out. We inquired with a staff member whether we could stand in the back and were told that it was a fire code violation issue, that in the case of “young ones” they really need to abide by those rules. Fair enough. We began walking away when we looked back and noticed the doors, that had been closed due to selling out, were now open. We thought that perhaps someone had left, or they decided to accept a few more families. We walked back in time to witness the very staff member we spoke to ushering in a group of 5-6 people, only one of which was young enough to really appreciate the show’s format. He hurriedly let them in and seeing us, averted his eyes and closed the door. As they were going in to the church I said, “That is so wrong.” Another staff member who had guided the group to the door turned to me and indignantly sniffed, “He’s a board member.”
So the moral of the story is this: if you want to get into a sold out Chocolate Chip Cookie concert, and in the process violate fire code (a code especially important with a large group of young children in the building), you better be on the board.
Thanks for this. You’re right. Only Baker Bobbie is not Jennifer Nelson, but Hope Harris. Jennifer Nelson does the opener, and this time she was the superhero’s sidekick Wendy.