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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2015)
PAGE A12, KEIZERTIMES, MARCH 20, 2015 Local academy could make you a rock star By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes As a tuba player in McNary High School’s wind ensemble, Anthony Tarter is used to per- forming high-level music. His passion, however, is hard rock. “At school, I don’t get a whole lot of opportunity to play my guitar. It’s hard to fi nd people interested in the same music,” Tarter said. When he saw an advertise- ment for River City Rock Star Academy on Facebook, he de- cided to look into it. “I talked with Mark (Green, one of the school’s co-found- ers) and decided to give it a try,” Tarter said. He and 13 other students turned out for the fi rst session in February. By the end of the night, the students had a jam session playing The Beatles’ Come Together. After a few weeks in the program Tarter had nothing but good things to say. “I love it. I think they really have a phenomenal program going. I really enjoy how they get everyone involved and have a plan and it’s not just a fi asco of musicians doing their own thing,” Tarter said. “They drive you to work your hardest and have high standards.” Green said he and his part- ners founded the school spe- cifi cally to fi ll the niche Tarter is part of. “Salem-Keizer has an amaz- ing music program between choirs and band and orches- tras, but the idea is to give kids that are interested in rock or alt rock the opportunity to be part of a band or play in a band,” Green said. Green’s daughter, Danielle, has been attending rock schools in Portland for the better part of four years, but he decided to give the concept a try in Salem. The fi rst of the 12-week classes was held Feb. 11, and River KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald Anthony Tarter, showing playing guitar at halftime of a McNary High School basketball game earlier this year, is among those attending the River City Rock Star Academy. River City Rock Star Academy is going to be holding camps for rockers ages 7 to 107 beginning this summer. Programs for youth will be held in June and July and musicians from beginners to advanced are welcome. Costs and specifi c dates are available at the academy’s website. Adult camp dates are yet to be determined, but registration is available at www.rcrockstaracademy.com. City intends to offer summer camps for beginners as well as experienced players this sum- mer. Danielle’s experiences in Portland dovetail nicely with what Tarter hoped for in the Rock Star Academy. “The main thing was I met people who had the same inter- ests,” she said. “But there’s also the experience of performing. Most of the school-related per- formances can feel like recitals.” At the end of the course, students will perform live as a rock band at Level B Theater in Salem May 2. Doors open at 7 p.m., the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Students in the academy fall under the wing of instructor Alex Callenberger. “For me, it’s not like the end show is a test. I want to teach them to do everything from setting up the stage to working the mic and mixer and devel- oping a set list. I want them to know why we do these things and how much goes into any show,” Callenberger said. While the goal is to provide the students instruction tai- lored to specifi c musical inter- ests, Green said it’s more about giving students confi dence in their abilities. “Anyone who is involved in music has dreamed of hav- ing their own band. We want them to learn how to play with others, and then go off and do their own thing,” Green said. While the inaugural course is full, visit www.rcrocksta- racademy.com for news of upcoming opportunities and courses. KRA set for three more years at amphitheater By CRAIG MURPHY Of the Keizertimes Tunes and more will keep happening at the Keizer Ro- tary Amphitheater this sum- mer. Keizer City Councilors approved a new three-year contract with Clint Holland’s KRA LLC on Monday. The contract was unanimously ap- proved without comment as part of the consent calendar. The city has sponsored the Summer Concert Series at the amphitheater in Keizer Rapids Park the past several years. The new agreement is for three years, plus it has an option to renew for two more two-year terms. In addition to music con- certs, the agreement also calls for a movie series and live theater productions by Keiz- er Homegrown Theater. The contract calls for the city to sponsor between eight and 12 productions each year. Holland said on Tuesday he has two of his main concerts already set: Patrick Lamb on July 11 and Johnny Limbo and the Lugnuts on July 18. In other business Monday: • Two committees were offi cially renamed. In or- der to avoid confusion with the Keizer Arts Association (KAA), the Keizer Arts Com- mission (KAC) was renamed the Keizer Public Arts Com- mission, or KPAC. In addition, the Keizer Festivals and Events Services Team (K-FEST) was rechris- tened as the Festivals Advisory Board (FAB). Mayor Cathy Clark said changing K-FEST was only right. “That belongs to the Iris Festival, it doesn’t belong to the city,” Clark said. • Public Works Director Bill Lawyer gave the Keizer- times an update earlier in the day on damage from Sunday’s wind storm. On Sam Orcutt KEIZERTIMES fi le/Craig Murphy Brady Goss performs on the Keizer Rotary Amphitheater stage last August during RIVERfair. Keizer City Councilors approved a new three-year contract to run the amphitheater on Monday. Way, a branch broke off a tree and fell onto the road. At 3rd Avenue North and Hollyhock Place, a tree came down onto the road. At Wheatland Road North and Parkmeadow Drive, a branch fell off and landed in the road. “There was no damage to private property or vehicles reported and no one was in- jured,” Lawyer said. “All in all it seems that we weathered the storm pretty well.” Clark noted a bit of irony with the timing of the storm. “We did our big clean up on Saturday (at Keizer Civic Center), then the big wind storm the next day,” the mayor said. • Nate Brown, director of Community Development, and city attorney Shannon Johnson said there had been no appeal fi led in regards to the council’s decision in Janu- ary to allow plans for the de- velopment of apartments and a retirement community in Area C of Keizer Station. Council- or Brandon Smith had asked what the timeframe was. “The last date to fi le an ap- peal was last Friday,” Brown said. “We have no information that one was fi led. The indica- tion is we have not been ap- pealed.” Johnson noted it wasn’t 100 percent certain yet due to a possible delay in the mail. “In the next day or two we should know,” Brown said. • Heather Weathers was appointed to fi ll the vacancy on the Keizer Rapids Park Community Build Task Force Design and Special Features Committee. The committee serves in an advisory capac- ity to the Community Build Task Force which is chaired by Weathers’ mother, council- or Marlene Quinn. Weathers takes the seat vacated recently by Linda Baker. • Councilors unanimously approved a request to endorse and support the 2015 Keizer KPAC Holiday Card Contest. The winning artwork will be chosen by KPAC members in the fall and sent out as the city’s holiday card using funds from the General Fund. • Mayor Clark read a proc- lamation declaring April as Parkinson’s Awareness Month in Keizer. ATTENTION BUSINESS OWNERS Do you have clients that owe you money? 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