Classical Blast to rock school kids in Wyoming
Long before rock music was around, classical composers like Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig von Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were the “rock stars” of their time.
Gifted musicians, sometimes bad boys, prodigious composers, all garnered even more acclaim after their deaths. Not only did their music live on, gaining increasing popularity, few people realize the impact classical composers have had on today’s rock music.
Classical Blast seeks to share that story with their signature concert show. The band performs all over the Midwest.
In a bit of synchronicity, the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra recently invited Classical Blast to perform their musical concept for Natrona County School District 1 schools in Casper, Wyoming.
The orchestra-sponsored program, “Music on the Move,” brings in professional musicians from around the country to demonstrate musical techniques, ideas, and professional practices while giving young children the opportunity to experience different types of live music. Each year the program reaches 1,500-plus elementary students, as well as music students at the high school and college level.
The series, which will take place in early April, also features a full concert performance for the local Casper community.
The band rocks out music usually heard in symphony halls, melding famed classical pieces with classic rock songs by bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Audioslave, Muse and more. They also write their own music infused with symphonic elements.
It’s a musical thrill ride through history … the past, present and future together in perfect harmony.
Despite their unusual instrumentation — Greg Hirte and Hannah K. Watson on violin; Stephanie Koklys on acoustic guitar and vocals; drummer-vocalist Dave Kelly and Bill Syniar on bass — Classical Blast is a rock band through and through.
In addition to the spring performances in early April in Wyoming, Classical Blast will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, at Hey Nonny, 10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights; 3 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at Ballydoyle, 5157 Main St., Downers Grove; noon Sunday, March 17, at Fitzgerald’s, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at the Matrix Club, 808 Route 59, Naperville, matrixvenue.com; and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at Moonlight Theatre, 7 S. Second Ave. in St. Charles, moonlighttheatre.com.
To learn more, visit www.classicalblast.com.