advertisement

Solo concert by 12-year-old to benefit the Kaneland Arts Initiative

At 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17, Bailey Cates will perform a solo concert to raise money for the Kaneland Arts Initiative, formerly known as the Kaneland Community Fine Arts Festival. The concert is free and open to the public. A free will donation will be taken, and all proceeds will go to the KAI.

Bailey Cates will be a seventh-grader at Kaneland Harter Middle School, where she was the guitarist for the jazz band as the only sixth-grade member during the 2013-2014 school year. Cates has studied guitar for 3½ years and piano for 7 years. Since 2010, she has performed guitar and piano in more than 30 recitals, an accomplishment so impressive that she will be mentioned in the upcoming book, "The Savvy Music Teacher" by David Cutler. Cutler is the director of music entrepreneurship at the University of South Carolina, and one of the world's leading voices on arts leadership, career, and entrepreneurship training.

As the recipient of the Bob Mathewson Scholarship provided by Da Capo Music Studio, Cates feels compelled to contribute to local arts. Growing up in Elburn, she has regularly attended the Fine Arts Festival. "I've been there every year since I was about 5 ... I really like going and seeing all the people perform. They're really talented."

Cates is looking forward to her upcoming performance. "It'll be great to play for a cause! I'm really excited to play Imagine by John Lennon. It's my favorite song."

The KAI actively produces arts opportunities for the Kaneland Unit District 302 and the Kaneland Community that emphasize quality performing and visual arts, and promote the exploration of arts careers. The KAI produces the award-winning Kaneland Community Fine Arts Festival, a free all-day event that annually draws 3,000 students, families, and community members; the KAI Performance Series, which brings affordable professional quality performances year round to the state-of-the-art Kaneland auditorium; an artists-in-residence program, which seeks to enrich and support ongoing arts education within the Kaneland school district; and the Summer Community Theater production, which recently completed a successful production of "Once Upon a Mattress."

The concert will be a mix of classical, jazz, and pop performed on guitar and piano; repertoire will include "Moonlight Sonata," "Malagueña," and "Married Life from Up."

A dessert reception will follow. The concert will be held at Da Capo Music Studio, 140 E. Route 38, Unit C, Elburn. Make donations payable to Da Capo Music Studio, with KAI in the memo line. For more information about the concert, call (630) 777-2955 or email dcmusicstudio@gmail.com.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.