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Galactic Twinkle has special star

On Sunday afternoon, June 7th, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R)’s Community Music Center (CMC) has scheduled a “Galactic Twinkle”, a giant audience participation performance of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”, as part of its 60th anniversary celebration at Reed College in Portland, OR. 

Multnomah County Commissioner Jules Bailey will lead the ensemble of "twinklers".  Does that make him "Guardian of the Galaxy"?  You judge!  In any case, you are going to want to tweet this.

We are expecting over a hundred children and adults to participate, mostly on violin, but anyone age 4 or more with a portable instrument is invited to play along and be a 'star'.  NOTE to performers: we will play it in D Major.

What: Galactic Twinkle, part of Community Music Center's 60th Anniversary Performance Festival & Community Event

Where: Reed College Kaul Auditorium, SE 28th Ave & Woodstock St, in Portland.  Other events in the Reed Performing Arts Complex, and Chapel.  Free event parking in any of Reed’s three lots on campus.

When: Sunday, June 7, 2015; The Galactic Twinkle will occur at the end of a 2 pm concert - sometime between 3:00 and 3:30 pm - as part of the performance festival that runs all afternoon and evening from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 

Cost: Free, with suggested donation of $10 to benefit CMC. No advance registration is required to participate, however seating may be limited, so early arrival is advised.  Auditorium doors open at 1:30 pm, and all seats are unreserved.

PRESS: Please check in at the Kaul Auditorium lobby welcome table.

About the Event

The Galactic Twinkle is part of a day-long event that celebrates 60 years of music education in PP&R with a performance festival and community event.  Over 300 students, instructors, and CMC alumni perform for the public in seven inspiring concerts throughout the day on Sunday, June 7, 2015.

The event is to thank the community for 60 years of support for the Center and its programs, to demonstrate the breadth and depth of services provided by CMC, and to raise funds that provide equity of access to quality music instruction programs for all ages.  It is made possible by the Wintz Family Foundation and sponsored by local area businesses, so that all net proceeds benefit the Community Music Center’s music scholarship program for students in need.

Why Jules Bailey?

Multnomah County Commissioner Jules Bailey is an alumnus of PP&R's Community Music Center, taking violin lessons there as a child.  We asked him to participate as a role model for the young students at the event, to show that the study of music is an important part of a well-rounded education whether one's career path leads to music, public service, or other fields.

Why Twinkle?

The June 7th "Galactic Twinkle" event is intended to demonstrate the universal value of music education, and may establish a record for number of people playing “Twinkle” at one time.

The melody for "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” is used in music education because it is so widely known to young children (it shares the same melody with "Bah, Bah, Black Sheep" and the "ABC Song").  Dr. Sinichi Suzuki created the Suzuki method that has every beginning student play the tune in several variations. 

What is the record for largest Twinkle performance?

The Suzuki Association of the Americas has no record yet for the largest performance of "Twinkle" in Oregon, so the June 7 event will definitely set the bar for them. Guinness Book of Records does not separate record categories by the song. According to Guinness, the largest violin ensemble violin ensemble featured 4,645 participants and was achieved by the Changhua County Government (Chinese Taipei) at Changhua Stadium, Chinese Taipei, on 17th of September, 2011. While the June 7 Galactic Twinkle event will not make the Guinness Book, it will surely be an impressive assembly worthy of capturing in photos and videos. 

Who wrote Twinkle?

According to Wikipedia: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" lyrics are from an early 19th-century English poem by Jane Taylor, "The Star".  It is sung to the tune of the French melody Ah! vous dirai-je, maman, which was published in 1761 and later arranged by several composers including Mozart with Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman".

Note: events are subject to change.  For the latest information and more details, call CMC at 503-823-3177, or browse www.CommunityMusicCenter.org.

The Community Music Center (CMC) is a Portland Parks & Recreation facility in partnership with an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that raises money to help subsidize tuition fees at the school.  It serves hundreds of families across the Portland area and supports those with limited economic means by increasing access to music performances and educational opportunities.  Benefit events such as this one support a need-based scholarship fund that enables students to follow their dreams in music. 

For more information, call 503-823-3177 or visit www.communitymusiccenter.org.