Support National Youth Art Month – come and experience the amazing talent of the Little Falls Community High School Jazz Band.
The combo is student-directed and all proceeds help send the group to contests and performances around the region.
When: Saturday, March 17 - 7:00pm
Where: Great River Arts Center, downtown Little Falls
Tickets: Available at Reality Roaster’s, The Good Book, Great River Arts, online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/230104
Adults $7 Students $3 Under 5 FREE
Meet Harper’s Chord
Jill, Paul and Roger – the talented trio that forms Harper’s Chord, a new local country music group – are releasing their first full-length CD on Saturday, February 25th at the Great River Arts Association.
Jill Moore beg
an her relationship with Great River Arts Association last spring, when she performed in the musical, Seasons of Love. Although a Minnesota native, Jill is still new to Little Falls, having settled here with her husband George, who grew up in the area. They have three children (George III, Henry and Harper), and the band is named for Jill’s daughter. Before returning to Minnesota, Jill worked as a traveling dancer and singer for various production companies. She said that while on tour, alone in a hotel room on New Year’s Eve, after 10 years of working as a touring artist, that she knew she was ready to come home. She now works as a part-time dance and movement instructor for St. Francis, and dreams of a studio space in Little Falls where she can teach fitness and dance classes full time.
Jill has known Roger and Paul for over 7 years, meeting them both through musical connections. Jill met Paul first, and the two of them have collaborated together on other projects, playing background for friends’ CDs and performing live. Paul grew up in a musical family – all three of his siblings play various instruments and Paul plays the mandolin, cello and guitar. Jill describes Paul’s musical style as a “picker,” saying that he is able to make his guitar sound like a number of different instruments, and is able to create amazing runs that create a unique story through sound. Roger, in comparison, plays in more of a rhythmic guitar style, giving their songs a bluesy feel to them at times. Roger also grew up in a musical family and plays the drums, bango and guitar on the CD. Both will be playing the guitar during the live concert, and will be accompanied by a percussionist.
For the CD, Harper’s Chord included guest musicians, Little Falls native Jeff Engholm and pianist Atsuko Scholough. Jeff has performed with his band Collective Unconscious for concerts at Maple Island Park as well as the Charles D. Martin Auditorium in the past. The CD was recorded at his studio. You can hear him playing base and stand-up base on the CD.
Jill said that it took her a while to
have confidence as a lead singer. As part of her training as an instructor for the SEND program, a teacher said to her, “Jill, you need to stop singing back up for everyone else.” She hadn’t thought about her singing career in that way before, this made simple sense to her, and gave her the confidence to tackle a project in which she was the lead voice.
Once she found a genre that fit, she gained even more confidence. Jill says that she “found home in country and folk music.” She enjoys the grass roots, back porch, organic elements of the music, how the songs seem to be stories of journey that are easily relatable. She connected to the emotion, and feels that it allows her to connect to the audience with really simple, sweet songs while giving the musicians the opportunity to showcase their impressive talents.
When I asked Jill how difficult it was to choose which songs the group would play on the CD, she described the process as “painstaking.” Initially, she would choose songs that she loved, and bring them to Roger and Paul. They would try them out, and make decisions to keep working on them or to let them go depending on how good they felt. She said at first, the process was difficult, because the three of them were a bit timid to turn down a song, but after they’d chosen a few songs, it became easier for each of them to realize what worked and what didn’t.
The group has performed together before at weddings and birthdays, at Jeff’s coffeehouse, The Local Blend in St. Joseph, and at some outdoor festivals including the Angelfire Ranch in Avon. This will be their first full concert after finishing the CD, and they are excited to return to the stage at Great River Arts.
Tickets are on sale now at Great River Arts, Reality Roasters and The Good Book Store. You can also find the tickets online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/226932. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door for adults, $5 for students and free for kids 5 and under.
Following the concert, join the band and Great River Arts staff at the Red Bull Bar (upstairs) for the after party. The band will do some encore performances and with your ticket stub, you will receive a 2 for 1 drink special. The after party is a 21+ event.
Harper’s Chord
Saturday, February 25, 7pm
Harper's Chord in concert at the Great River Arts Center, Saturday, February 25th at 7pm. Tickets $8 in advance, $10 at the door. On sale now.
Harper’s Chord, a local Country and folk inspired musical trio will be performing at the Great River Arts Center. Little Falls resident, Jill Moore joins talents with talented musicians, Paul Drinkwine and Roger Fink to form Harper’s Chord, a new country and folk music trio. Join Harper’s Chord at Great River Arts for the release party and concert for their first CD, Natural Bridge.
This event is family friendly and open to all ages.
TICKET INFORMATION
Adults – $8 in advance/$10 at the door
Students (K-12) – $5
Kids 5 and under – FREE
Members receive $2/ticket off when purchasing tickets at Great River Arts, or by using the members code online. (Call Great River Arts at 320 632 0960 for members code).
TICKETS AVAILABLE:
Great River Arts Association
Reality Roasters
Good Book Store
ONLINE TICKETS: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/226932
AFTER PARTY
Join us at the Red Bull Bar for an after party with members of the band. Upstairs at the Red Bull, the band will be bringing their music next door to keep the party going. Bring your ticket stub and get a 2 for 1 drink.
Join artists Kathleen Richert and Stuart Klipper this Saturday, January 28th for their opening reception of View Finder: Stops Along the Way in the Main Gallery of the Art Center.
Kathleen & Stuart have been travel companions for many years, venturing to “off the beat’n path” locations. She captures the moment with her watercolor and he, through his camera lens. Event is free and runs from 11:00-1:00pm.
Enjoy music from brother/sister duo, Katie & Mitch Johnson, performing a variety of blues, jazz, and contemporary works throughout the reception.
Open Mic Night January 3 from 6 – 9pm
1. Visit the current Art Center Gallery Exhibit for inspiration.
2. Write a short story or poem about the art you saw.
3. Come and perform your creation at open mic night!
Free and open to everyone. Maximum time: 7 minutes and be sure to be family friendly in content.
The Art Center’s gift shop is open 10am-6:00pm through Friday, December 23rd. Find that unique stocking stuffer, last minute greeting card or gift of jewelry, pottery and much more!
Charity Glazing Event
