WEDNESDAY, JULY 9
Harpist Skaila Kanga
Groove is in the harp at the U of L School of Music tonight, with renowned British harpist Skaila Kanga. As part of the SoM’s annual Summer Harp Academy, an intensive but festive week for harpists of all ages and experience levels to come together to pluck their strings with the pros, Kanga will present a lecture and master class, which is free and open to the public.
Born in India and a musician since age 5, Kanga is the head of Harp Studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London. In addition to her solo work, she has played for numerous major orchestras in London, and has even played on movie soundtracks such as “Harry Potter,” “Troy,” “Chocolat,” “Cold Mountain” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” to name a few.
She has sat in with Elton John and Paul McCartney, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. She has published books on harp, given lectures like this one all over the world and has received countless honors and awards for her expert harpin’. —Jane Mattingly
U of L School of Music
Room MB 161
852-6430
Free; 6:30 p.m.
Friday, July 11
Hiroshima discussion
People don’t often think of how explosive this world is. The thought of being incinerated by an atomic bomb barely even crosses the mind of the average human being — normally, at least. Most don’t even realize the massiveness of its existence. Nevertheless, Miyoko Watanabe, a survivor of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, has dedicated her life to the education of what really happens when big boys like Little Boy are dropped, and warning people of the dangerous road that might be ahead in a world where power is measured by who has more ammo.
Steve Leeper, the chairman of the Hiroshima Peace and Culture Foundation, will also present a spiel about his and the HPCF’s analytical predictions and concerns of the future with the current atomic struggle. But these voices are really the cherry on a weeklong sundae of art reflecting Hiroshima’s harrowing experience. In conjunction with the lecture, a poster exhibit will be on display at the Crane House (1244 S. Third St.) through July 11. —Jess Mahanes
Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church
4936 Brownsboro Road
214-7322
Free; 7 p.m.
July 11-12
Hot and cold running orchestra
How do you like your orchestra: indoors or out?
Friday night, in the air-conditioned splendor of Whitney Hall, the Louisville Orchestra hosts Julie Andrews in the premiere of “The Gift of Music.” Ms. Andrews will narrate the show, which includes Rodgers and Hammerstein hits and a new work called “Simeon’s Gift” that is based on a best-selling children’s book written by Andrews and her daughter.
Saturday night under the stars, at ROARchestra at the Louisville Zoo, the L.O. is joined by the Motown dance band The Contours, whose big hit “Do You Love Me?” hit the charts twice — first in 1962, and then in 1988, when it was the hot song of “Dirty Dancing.” You know, Do you love me/now that I can dance? It’s the actual dirty-dancing scene in which Patrick Swayze sends a charge through Jennifer Grey that magically transforms her from Perfect American Princess into the girl you really wished lived next door. Certainly one of the top-five dance songs in the repertoire, with a beat so neat even a girl named “Baby” can learn to dance. You could, too.
The orchestra is running a limited ticket giveaway for each of the ROARchestra concerts at HYPERLINK "http://www.consuminglouisville.com" www.consuminglouisville.com. —Bill Doolittle
Whitney Center (Friday)
Brown-Forman L.O. WOW! Event
584-7777
$37.50-$77.50; 8 p.m.
Louisville Zoo (Saturday)
Fifth Third Bank ROARchestra
587-8681
$20; Gates 6:30 p.m., concert 8:30 p.m.
HYPERLINK "http://www.louisvilleorchestra.org" www.louisvilleorchestra.org
July 11-29
‘Work from the Heart’
Camp Heart to Heart is appropriately named. It’s a free summer camp for 5-12-year-olds who are HIV+ or have AIDS, or have a family member who has the disease. The camp is the collaboration of many local organizations, including the House of Ruth, AIDS Interfaith Ministries of Kentuckiana and the Lions Camp Crescendo.
The Tim Faulkner Gallery is hosting a two-part fundraiser for the camp that includes a silent auction with art by gallery regulars, such as Quincy Owens, Jennifer Goodell and Terry Tapp. Art by children currently at Camp Heart to Heart will be also exhibited, with the entire profit going directly to the child who created it. The opening reception is on July 11 from 5-10 p.m. — CONTACT _Con-419CB26F17 c s l Jo Anne Triplett
Tim Faulkner Gallery
815 E. Market St., suite 4
381-1314
www.timfaulknergallery.com
Saturday, July 12
Youth blood drive
On Saturday, the Red Cross is holding its first ever youth-oriented blood drive, the “Music Saves Lives Youth Explosion.” The day before the event, a new state law will go into effect that allows people as young as 16 to donate blood. The Red Cross sees this as a perfect opportunity to try to reach out to young people for help, as the amount of donors continues to shrink on a yearly basis.
“Young people are the ideal people we need to donate blood right now. They’re young, healthy and not on any type of medication that would defer them from donating,” says Loni White, communications coordinator for the American Red Cross. “Young people need to donate now, or there will be a shortage in the future.”
To attract young donors, the Red Cross and the Vans Warped Tour, the nation’s largest traveling punk rock festival, have partnered to give away backstage passes to Warped Tour stops in Cincinnati and Indianapolis to each person who donates on Saturday. Live bands will also be performing at each of the blood drives, which will be taking place at Beechland Baptist Church (1-6 p.m., 4613 Greenwood Road), the Red Barn at U of L (11 a.m.-3 p.m.), Club Oasis (11 a.m.-5 p.m., 1506 Lakeshore Ct.) and the Ken Ellis Center (3-8 p.m., 211 Martin Circle). —Aaron Frank
www.louisville-redcross.org
Sunday, July 13
KY Shakespeare Fest’s Bard-B-Que
Enjoy an Elizabethan feast on Sunday in Central Park at the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival’s second annual “Bard-B-Que,” sponsored by BBC in conjunction with the Old Louisville Hidden Treasures Garden Tour. No, I didn’t say “bawd-b-que.” That sort of thing doesn’t go on in the park.
Partake of scrumptious BBQ, imbibe cold drinks and hear bluegrass music by Relic in the original Olmsted garden at The Landward House, just across from Central Park. When you’re as sated as Henry VIII, mosey on over to the park and catch the free performance of “Julius Caesar” at 8 p.m. You won’t want to miss the opening lecture by attorney and Shakespeare scholar Joseph Ardery. It starts at 7:15. All proceeds benefit Shakespeare in Central Park. KSF’s second production, “Pericles,” continues this week as well, on July 8, 10 and 12 at 8 p.m. —Sherry Deatrick
Central Park
1387 S. Fourth St.
636-4933
HYPERLINK "http://www.kyshakes.org" www.kyshakes.org
$20; noon-7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 13
Author Bill Bishop
Look around. Do your friends and neighbors seem eerily similar? This isn’t the Twilight Zone, but chances are the answer is yes. Former Louisvillian Bill Bishop explores the phenomenon in his book, “The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America is Tearing Us Apart.” It’s not the classic red-and-blue-states picture; Bishop is talking about the community level. Think megachurch vs. Birkenstocks.
Bishop’s idea originated from experiences in Eastern Kentucky and Louisville. While Austin, Tex., was thriving, Louisville seemed to be struggling to attract intellectuals. After some research with Bob Cushing (who co-wrote the book), the big sort began to emerge. “We could see that Austin was slurping up people with skills and ideas … Literally, we could see that the people moving from Louisville to Austin made considerably more money than those moving in the other direction,” Bishop says.
The book concentrates on development and discussion of the problem, but Bishop doesn’t seem entirely pessimistic about the future. One difference is generational: “Younger people are more comfortable with difference, more accepting of differing opinions and points of view, less quick to judge. It (is) refreshing — and, in the end, quite hopeful.” —Cassie Book
Carmichael’s Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Ave.
896-6950
Free; 4 p.m.
Tuesday, July 15
The Ceruti Chamber
When was the last time you got in touch with this nation’s 20th century musical literature? It was a good century for American music: We finally started some of our own trends, lightly pushing that European mumbo-jumbo to the side. It went from powder wigs to striped vests — “Carmen” to “The Music Man.”
The Ceruti Chamber players are known for ensemble, trio and solo performances in precisely that liberating area. The group is planning to play Tuesday for their eighth annual Sommermusik Festival. Composed of oboist Trevor Johnson, pianist Grace Baugh-Bennett, flutist Donald Gottlieb, double bassist Robert Docs, percussionist Mark Tate and bassoonist Roger Soren, they will perform an assortment of adapted 20th-century American pieces. —Jess Mahanes
St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church
6710 Wolf Pen Branch Road
895-6161
Free; 7 p.m.
Through Aug. 9
‘Works by River City Fiber Artists’
We live by a river that is so powerful it influences creativity. Pat DaRif, Kathleen Loomis, Marti Plager, Joanne Weis, Valerie C. White and Juanita Yeager are the members of River City Fiber Artists. Their river-themed exhibition was a long time coming, as the idea for the show has been rolling over in the group’s collective mind since 2003.
Both Weis and DaRif did outstanding silk overlay designs that ripple gently. White’s textiles are highly detailed with cross-sectioned layers of water and earth, sometimes dominated by a beautiful anthropomorphic sun, a favorite motif.
The Louisville Visual Art Association rests along the banks of the Ohio River, making it the perfect location to view the exhibit. — CONTACT _Con-419CB26F17 c s l Jo Anne Triplett
Louisville Visual Art Association
Water Tower, 3005 River Road
896-2146
www.louisvillevisualart.org
