Welcome to this week's "Gish Picks", where I highlight family-oriented cultural events, products or services. Please note that I "highlight" these events, but I don't know if they are appropriate for your particular children, so choose wisely based on age, maturity and interests.

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Now, GO FIND FUN!

HOW TO TRAVEL WITHOUT ALL THE COST.

Musiqa presents its family concert, “Around the World with Musiqa”, this Saturday, May 16 at 2:30pm at the Hobby Center’s Zilkha Hall. The innovative multi-media, interactive concert is designed to introduce children to classical and modern music by illustrating how folk songs, the shared music of a community, can be transformed by a composer into something rooted in tradition and yet vividly personal. The children are invited to sing-along with the musicians in folk songs from Africa, South America, the Far East, Europe and the United States. Musiqa’s musicians then perform settings of these folk tunes by distinguished modern composers. In this way, children will gain a fuller understanding of the universality of music and will experience first-hand how it can be constantly re-imagined. A narrator guides the children through each selection and surtitles enable the children to follow along and sing with the lyrics. Props, lighting and sound effects help to create a complete theatrical experience. An all-star roster of musicians includes Karol Bennett, soprano; Eric Bean, clarinet; Richard Belcher, cello; Sydney Carlson, flute; Sean Wang, violin; Rod Waters, piano; and Blake Wilkins, percussion. Actress Susan Koozin, star of Stage Repertory Theater’s “Always Patsy Cline”, narrates.

Tickets are $10 for adults; children 16 and under are free (must be accompanied by an adult). All children receive a free DVD of the program.

YOU CAN STOP AT AFRICA ALONG THE WAY.

For music from just one continent, be sure to see “Africa: A Night of Celebration” presented by the Bayou City Women’s Chorus this Saturday, May 16 at 7:30pm. The Bayou City Women's Chorus is part of Bayou City Performing Arts and this concert will be a celebration of the many different styles and traditions of African music, including the African American tradition. The first portion will be songs of rhythm and freedom from South Africa and Zimbabwe to Kenya and the Caribbean. The second half will focus on the theme of the African American experience including, "Strange Fruit," "Sweet Honey in the Rock," "Nigra Sum" by Pablo Casals, and a group of spirituals including "Go Down Moses," "Soon I Will Be Done," and "Get on Board." The Bayou City Women’s Chorus is the second choral group to emerge from Bayou City Performing Arts. Meetings for interested singers and supporters have been held monthly since January 2005 and have grown in number from 5 to 65 singers. The chorus is a diverse group of women who come together for one simple purpose: to sing as one voice.

Tickets are $25.

TEENS GRABBED CAMERAS AND RAN.

There are two excellent exhibitions showcasing teen photography that I recommend: "FotoFence 2009", organized by FotoFest's Literacy Through Photography program, is the annual LTP celebration of student photography and writing. The show will be on view at the downtown FF headquarters, 1113 Vine Street, and they are celebrating it with a family-oriented reception this Sunday, May 17 from 2-4pm. Over in Montrose, Houston Center for Photography is hosting "Collaborations VI", a show which includes 14 students from 8 Houston area high schools with prominent photography programs and organized with HCP Education Coordinator Rachel Hewlett and community collaborator/local photographer Linda Walsh.

ATTRACTION: NOAH'S ARK HAS LANDED IN HOUSTON.

First Methodist Church is home to what is known in mommy circles as the “Noah’s Ark Pool” – and since it’s just opening to the public this weekend, I’m recommending it. The pool is part of the church’s Quillian Center, which includes 2 swimming pools, an outdoor basketball pavilion, a shaded picnic area, ball fields, a gymnasium, and an indoor climbing wall. The swimming facilities include a large swimming pool with dual slides and two diving boards. The smaller pool, known as the "Noah's Ark Pool", is the most popular area as it is ideal for pre-k and early elementary children. It is shallow and provides a good area for splashing and playing and a "Noah's Ark" structure is located in the center of the pool and includes three slides and a crawl-through. A mushroom water drop, a rainbow slide, a coconut water drop, and spraying water from Noah's animals complete this fun facility. Both my boys LOVED it and I didn’t have to worry about them before they could swim because of its size. If you have kids with a large age spread (like I do, with five years apart), it’s an ideal swimming spot because the older children can be in the larger pool (age depending, of course!) and the younger ones in the Ark. Noah’s Ark Pool only has open swim times from May 18-May 29 from 10am-2pm and then both pools open June 1-August 21 from 10am-4pm. The Noah’s Ark Pool remains open until September 4 and there are special holiday hours you’ll need to check on before you go on a vacation day. There is a concession stand and no outside food is allowed.

The daily admission rate to the pool is $5.00 per person. No charge for children under age 1.

MEMBERSHIP AT THE HOUSTON FIRE MUSEUM HAS ITS PRIVILEGES.

The Houston Fire Museum is primarily supported by memberships so that the Museum may continue its mission to keep alive the history of one of the most revered professions and to educate the public in fire safety.

Please consider becoming a member in one of the following levels:

• Firefighter Level - $15/year
• Firefighter & Family Level - $24/year
• Individual Level (non-firefighter) - $30/year
• Individual & Family Level (non-firefighter) - $40/year
• Patron Level - $100/year

Log on to the Houston Fire Museum's website for more information on membership benefits for each level.

Sarah Gish
Gish Creative
1940-A Fountainview, PMB 116
Houston, Texas 77057
phone/fax: 713.532.1173

email: sarah@gishcreative.com
web: www.gishcreative.com
and: www.thesummerbook.com
and: www.saveourlandmarks.org

© 2009 Sarah Gish

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