June 23, 2005

World-Class Musicians Offer Children's Workshop at MASS MoCA

(North Adams, Mass.)-- For three weeks in July, North Adams will come alive with the sound of music as the dynamic musical group Bang on a Can returns to MASS MoCA for its third annual summer institute and festival. As part of the Festival, on Saturday, July 23, at 11 A.M. the musicians of Bang on a Can will present Kids Can Too!, a workshop for children where world-renowned musicians will host a fun morning of musical experimentation. Using a wide array of often unconventional musical instruments, the workshop is liberating, inviting children to create a distinctive music all their own, from sounds and rhythms both familiar and fresh. The workshop is open to children of all ages. The event is free with museum admission, but advance reservations are required as space is limited.

Bang on a Can began as a one-day event in New York City's lower east side in 1987. Their rise in popularity over the years has led to world tours, featured appearances on CNN, MTV, NPR's "All Things Considered," and sold-out concerts at major national and international venues. Bang on a Can has grown into a New York-based organization operating year-round, assembling superb musicians and a unique integration of styles that give it elements of jazz, classical ensemble, minimalism and rock-and-roll. Refusing to be pigeon-holed, this lively combination of clarinets, saxophones, electric guitars, cellos, bass, keyboards and percussion features a rotating cast of performers, hand-picked each summer from a highly competitive applicant pool.

Kids Can Too! is part of Band on a Can's two-week long summer music institute where world renowned musicians use the vast MASS MoCA complex as an organic music school allowing for open classes, rehearsals, and frequent informal recitals. The institute will kick off with a concert featuring Brian Eno (best known for Music For Airports, and his work with Talking Heads) on Saturday, July 23, and wrap up with a marathon closing concert Saturday, July 30, featuring students, teachers, brand new work, and special guest composer Steve Reich.

Kids Can Too! is free with museum admission. Museum admission is $10 for adults, $4 for kids 6-16, free for children under six and free for members. Space is limited, so advance reservations are required (even for members and children under six). Reservations can be made through the MASS MoCA Box Office located off Marshall Street in North Adams from 10 A.M. until 6 P.M. daily. Reservations can also be made over the phone by calling 413.662.2111 during Box Office hours or purchased on line at www.massmoca.org.

MASS MoCA, the largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts in the United States, is located off Marshall Street in North Adams on a 13-acre campus of renovated 19th-century factory buildings.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Katherine Myers
(413) 664-4481 x8113
katherine@massmoca.org