Bask in summer’s glow on two cooler, less humid evenings this week with the LaPorte City Band on Wednesday and HiFi2WiFi on Thursday at Fox Park.
Both free concerts start at 7 p.m. at the park’s Dennis F. Smith Amphitheater, with Patrick Watterson’s keyboard music launching both evenings at 6:30. Come early to grab a park bench or bring a lawn chair or blanket. Picnics are welcome; popcorn and soft drinks will also be available for purchase at the Arts in the Park concession stand. Wednesday’s featured poet will be Mary Allen, LaPorte County Poet Laureate 2010, and Thursday’s featured poet is Laura Hernandez-Myers; both poets begin their presentations at 6:45. Debbie Writt’s artwork will be on display both evenings.
Wednesday: LaPorte City Band
The band’s guest conductor this week, Tiffany Galus, is a native of LaPorte and a graduate of New Prairie High School and Indiana University, where she was active in many ensembles and drum major of the famous Marching Hundred. She received the degree Bachelor of Music Education and Wind Conducting in 2011. In 2012 she became the director of bands at New Prairie High School, and she holds memberships with the Indiana Bandmasters Association and the National Association for Music Education.
Dr. Dennis Miller, a member of the city band since 1979, will be the featured soloist Wednesday. Miller is known for his fantastic technique and beautiful tone. He studied music and optometry at Indiana University, and was a student of the famous euphonium instructor Keith Brown. He practices optometry in LaPorte.
Wednesday’s selections will be:
– “March Grandioso,” Roland Seitz
– “American Riversongs,” Pierre LaPlante
– “Jubilee!” James Curnow
– “The President’s March,” Henry Fillmore (Tiffany Galus, conductor)
– “Russian Sailor’s Dance,” Reinhold Gliere
– “Nesson Dorma” from the opera “Turandot,” Giacomo Puccini (Dennis Miller, euphonium)
– “Gershwin!” arr. Warren Barker
– “March: Montmartre,” Haydn Wood
Thursday: HiFi2WiFi
What do you call a band that plays classic jazz, R&B and rock from an era when everyone owned a high-fidelity record stereo? HiFi2WiFi.
Formerly known as Box Set, the band returns Thursday for its fifth straight Arts in the Park season. Along with cover tunes from such artists as Al Jarreau, Joe Jackson and Bill Withers, HiFi2WiFi will also play its own compositions. Band members are Tim Gardner, Matt Kenedy, Josef Szaday and Bill Cover.
For more information on the summer concert series, visit www.artsintheparklaporte.com or call Kitty Wolff or Lisa Smithson at 219.363.9317 or 219.362.2558.