Summer Music Concerts – A Great Way To Expose Your Kids To Great Music!
Is there anything better than music under the stars on a warm summer’s night? The good news is that you need not have season tickets to the symphony in order to enjoy amazing concerts, many of which are free this time of the year.
What a great way to expose the entire family to music, or get together a group of friends to enjoy a night out, even in this economy.
Pack a picnic dinner, bring a blanket or folding chairs, don’t forget the bug spray, and settle down for some sensational sounds as fireflies flit through the crowd. Chances are, your town’s local gazebo or village green will be offering a free concert or two this summer. Check listings in your hometown newspaper, or run an online search for “Free Local Concerts”. (Some venues have concession stands of their own, so check ahead if bringing food is allowed.)
Patriotic fare also abounds with “Torchlight Tatoos”, military performances often by Army or Navy bands in dress uniform. The name has nothing to do with marking the skin, but instead, comes from a Dutch word meaning “to turn off the taps”. The military in those days played drums at an appointed hour, informing local taverns to turn off their taps, when mallets would tap the beer barrels shut, also sounding like drums. Soldiers then used torchlight to walk back to camp for the night and the curfew was imposed. Nowadays, the Torchlight Tatoos may include horses and marching, in addition to music, depending on the location. These are often free concerts, good for everyone from grandparents to young children, and again, held outdoors.
Churches are another wonderful option for community music-lovers. I recall attending a dinner party once where all of us mixed, and mingled, and dined, then headed to a nearby church to enjoy an evening concert.
Times have changed so much that live concert performances in one city’s music theater are frequently simulcast to theaters in other parts of the country for an affordable ticket cost. No need to fly in for a special evening, when the evening can easily come to your city, as well.
There’s truly something for everyone these days, from military marching bands, to organ and piano concerts, to lutes and harpsichords, not to mention folk guitar or jazz performances. You may choose a tried and true music style, or decide to sample something new. Take an evening to refresh yourself this summer with music meant to lift your spirits as the sun sinks lower and creates dusky, magical moments, filling the sky with a symphony of sound.
———–Copyright 2012 — Alexandra Bartologimignano
(Alexandra jets here and there with her two boys, two girls, one husband, and two dogs, while chronicling their larger-than-life adventures at www.destinationsdreamsanddogs.com.)
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