Mozart and Mahler Step Aside for Monster Mash... "well, just for 2 hours"

"Our very classically trained young people have a blast letting loose and performing the Annual Treats and Tunes Concert at the Vacaville Halloween Stroll on October 31st at 4:00 - 6:00 pm. "Studying Mozart and Mahler transforms our students all year, and Monster Mash is just plain easy fun", says Artistic Director and Founder Wanda Cook.

Young Artists Conservatory of Music (YACM) celebrates its 15th non-profit season of inspiring young people to recognize and unlock their potential through excellence in the musical arts. That excellence is achieved through the study of traditional music theory and classical musicianship. YACM Teaching Artists train kids to reach beyond that which they are acquainted, which then challenges them to develop their hidden aptitudes.

The songs for "Treats and Tunes" aren't always the type that are used in learning to expose hidden aptitude", comments, Wanda Cook, but the classical training comes through."

Select students rehearse a few weeks and put their classical skills to favorites like Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", Wicked's "The Wizard and I", "The Adam's Family", and "Thriller" made famous by Michael Jackson. "Some of the major benefits I see", says Cook, "is that our students get to learn more about the ensemble and rehearsal process. They become better listeners and try out their improvisational skills. They experience the incredible confidence and security that comes with relying on their classical training. They experience the feeling of success in their community and this feeling motivates them to keep working hard in their training."

This will be our 13th concert at the Halloween Stroll, and YACM is grateful to the Downtown Vacaville Business Improvement District for making the Town Square available to us for so many years.

This year Halloween Strollers will be entertained by our new A cappella choruses, FUSE and SPARK under the direction of Melinda Packer and Casey Ellis. A short teaser will be performed by Solano Youth Theatre of the upcoming Broadway Musical, Peter Pan. TnT Rock Band will perform, closing the afternoon with a cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and the traditional finale of "Thriller" and community dance along right about 5:30 pm.

Joining the 65 young performers that evening are 4 of the 5 upcoming YACM Black Tie 2019-20 Featured Soloists: 17-yr old Mezzo- Soprano Catie Whittet, 17-yr old Soprano Senzal Ahmady, 15-yr old Pianist Elizabeth Weber, and 17-yr old Alto Mariana Gonzales.

See you at the Stroll!

Photo Credit: Chicago Review Nina Stemme stars in the title role of Strauss’s “Elektra” at Lyric Opera. Photo: Cory Weaver,