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!

"STOP, LOOK AND LISTEN!" WITH DA CAMERA.

It’s a great thing when we can get kids to enjoy music by making it active and Da Camera of Houston and The Menil Collection do just that with their free “Stop, Look and Listen!” events. Their next concert is this Saturday, November 14, 3-5pm and features musicians from the Da Camera Young Artists program. Performing 15-minute “thumbnail” concerts at various locations throughout The Menil Collection campus, the musicians will shepherd visitors to undiscovered corners of the museum while opening the audience’s ears and eyes. Each artist performs his or her concert, which is tied thematically to the artworks in that particular venue, continuously throughout the event, with performances occurring simultaneously at The Menil Collection, The Cy Twombly Gallery and the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum. Some of the works performed include the "Sonata Opus 5, No. 5" for violin and continuo by Arcangelo Corelli, "Tango Etudes" by Astor Piazzolla, "Nagoya Marimbas" by Steve Reich, "Solo for Sliding Trombone" by John Cage and "The King of the Sun" by Stephen Hartke. The recommended age for this event is 6 and up.

This year, Da Camera introduces the inaugural class of the Young Artist Program. The Young Artists work with Da Camera throughout the year, conceiving adventurous community concerts and educational programs and are comprised of an elite group of young professional instrumentalists, singers and composers picked through a rigorous, competitive audition process.

Make an afternoon of it and combine a visit to the Menil Collection (where admission is always free) with the concert. I recommend hanging out on the grounds – which are a great place for a picnic or running around. The Menil Collection is located at 1515 Sul Ross, with free parking in the lot on West Alabama between Mandell and Mulberry.

DOCTORS PLAY MUSIC PATIENT-LY.

It’s a musical week! If you’ve never heard of the Doctor's Orchestra of Houston – just imagine your pediatrician playing the oboe! This unique group of musicians recently joined with the Texas Medical Center and changed their name to the Texas Medical Center Orchestra but the group continues to be comprised of orchestra members that are in medical and allied fields from all parts of Houston.

Libi Libel, the musical director as well as the orchestra leader, is celebrating the 10th year anniversary of this orchestra with three concerts for the 2009-2010 season, with the themes of “passion”, “vision”, and “unity.” The opening concert for the season is being performed twice -- once at 5pm this Sunday, November 15 at the Wortham Center and again at 3pm on Saturday, November 21 at the Round Top Festival. The solo part will be played by the world-renowned pianist and founder of the Round Top Festival, James Dick. The performance will also include the “Carnival Overture” and the “New World Symphony” by Dvorak as well as Beethoven’s “Emperor Piano Concerto.” At the Wortham Center, the Orchestra will partner with KIPP Academy as its students will present creative writing pieces and photographs of their experiences in the United States, which for many is their ‘new world’. Texas Medical Center Orchestra concerts are listener friendly and particularly suited for families who wish to expose their children to high quality live performances of classical music in a popular venue and at a convenient time of day.

Tickets for the concert at Wortham Center’s Cullen Theater are $10 and $20 and $25 for the Round Top concert.

SEE THE 1924 "PETER PAN" SILENT FILM.

This Friday, November 13 at 7pm, the 1924 silent film classic, "Peter Pan," will be onscreen at the Miller Outdoor Theatre as part of the 2009 Cinema Arts Festival Houston. Prior to the screening, MacGregor Elementary School students will perform songs they created in a weeklong Kid Pan Alley music residency program. Kid Pan Alley, created and operated by Paul Reisler, is a non-profit organization that promotes creativity in children through songwriting, which chose to work with MacGregor Elementary because they are an HISD Magnet Fine Arts and Science school whose mission matches that of Kid Pan Alley. Immediately after the children's performance, audiences will enjoy the film set to music written and performed live by legendary silent film accompanists Donald Sosin, Joanna Seaton and Kid Pan Alley music director Paul Reisler.

Cinema Arts Festival Houston, set for November 11-15 at cultural locales throughout Houston's downtown and Museum District area, is a vibrant multimedia arts festival breaking out of the confines of the movie theater through live music and film performances, outdoor projections, interactive video installations and more. The free Kid Pan Alley performance at Miller Outdoor Theatre is just one of the Festival's many programs being produced and presented collaboratively with Houston organizations, driving home the Festival's mission to broaden the public's understanding and appreciation of contemporary cinema and its indelible ties to the creative arts. Some festival events are free while others are ticketed; the "Peter Pan" event is free. Festival Headquarters are at the historic Alabama Theatre, at 2922 S. Shepherd, which is home to an HBOX portable screening room. Operating hours are 1-6pm daily through Sunday, November 15.

THIS WEEK'S ATTRACTION...GEORGE BUSH PARK. For more attractions, go to www.gishcreative.com/attractions.htm.

I’m suggesting another park this week: The George Bush Park at 16756 Westheimer Parkway because they are host to a wild and wooly doggie picnic this Sunday. The park covers a whopping 6,500 acres and has something for almost every age, interest, and breed! On one side, the American Shooting Center provides a safe area to practice riflery and to the west are the Scobee Model Airplane fields and hike and bike (and equestrian) trail. The park is host to the Alief and FFPS Soccer Complexes, as well as baseball fields and a playground, pavilion, and duck pond accommodate everyone and their pets. A small pond on Westheimer Parkway almost to Westheimer Road also offers area for dogs and small picnics. Then there are the dog amenities: there’s a large open field for dogs to play and a separate area just for dogs that is named after the Bush family dog, Millie.

Come to the dog area this Sunday, November 15, noon-4pm for a celebration of the 10th anniversary of Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue, an all-volunteer non-profit organization founded in Houston in 1999 for the rescue and placement of homeless golden retrievers. This free event (which was rescheduled due to a rainout) encourages hundreds of rescued Goldens (and the humans who love them) to play, romp, swim, socialize and have lunch, courtesy GBGRR. Those dogs in their "Golden Years" will proudly participate in the "Parade of Seniors.” There will also be grooming demonstrations and advice from members of the Greater Houston Golden Retriever Club as well as raffles, door prizes, and free samples for dogs and GReat food for humans. All proceeds will benefit GBGRR and RSVP’s to GBGRR are requested so that there will be enough food. The tenth anniversary theme is "In Goldens We Trust," inspired by the wonderful image created by artist Jim Tweedy to benefit GBGRR.

TEXAS BIONEERS MAKES ITS HOME AT DISCOVERY GREEN THIS YEAR.

This Saturday, November 14, the Texas Bioneers has organized a "Fall Festival Day in the Park” at Discovery Green. The event is free and open to the public and is focused on local food, farming, and all things green. The festival is from 10am-4pm and there will be plenty of booths and events during the festival, including Segways to ride, a container garden exhibit, the "Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet" exhibit and a performance of the popular "Brother Tadpole," created by Loreta Kovacic-Parani and starring lots of cute, artsy kids. Visitors can stop by a special tent throughout the day to view this year’s national Bioneers speakers (for those that cannot make it on Saturday to view, there will be three alternate days where people can sign up to go hear; check the Texas Bioneers website for details). The day will close out with a Slow Food Picnic Dinner beginning at 6pm, organized by Monica Pope and Andrea Lazar of t’afia which will feature food prepared by local chefs from Slow Food’s Ark of Taste list, a catalog of over 200 delicious foods in danger of becoming extinct. The Slow Food picnic dinner is $45 per person, and you must register online.

TEXAS RECREATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE (“T-ReX LaX”) STARTS THIS SUNDAY.

Sign-ups are going on now through November 15 for Houston’s T-ReX Lacrosse League, a league that any child can join (it’s not school-selective) that has been organized by Crease Ranch. The goal of T-ReX LaX is to give young players an opportunity to learn and compete in an age-appropriate manner. With top instructors from respected area coaches and players, T-ReX LaX is dedicated to meeting the needs of developing lacrosse players. Sessions take place Sunday afternoons from 2-4pm for girls grades 3-8 and boys grades K-8. Players will work on skills, drills, and have the thrills of putting it together in games. Featured guest speakers will add to the education of young athletes. The final session will conclude with a raffle of lacrosse gear and tournament championship games.

The League will take place on Sundays, November 15 and 22, December 6 and 13, and January 10, 17, and 24 and is $235. Rental equipment is available on a limited basis. Each fully paid player will receive a free jersey, harrow packet with water bottle, lanyard, and sticker. All sessions are at the St. John's School fields at 2401 Claremont Drive.

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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