SCOTTSDALE Serving the Community Since 2002
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SUSD Board Hires Superintendent The Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) Governing Board approved a Superintendent contract with Dr. A. Denise Birdwell at its December 13, 2016, meeting. The contract runs through June 30, 2019. “The Governing Board officially welcomes Dr. Birdwell to the Scottsdale family,” said Governing Board President Bonnie Sneed. “Her leadership as interim superintendent over the last eleven months was instrumental in the passage of our bond and capital override campaign. She is student-focused, and we look forward to working with her on important initiatives, including school rebuilds, increased academic achievement and financial accountability.” “I am honored to have this opportunity to continue to serve the Scottsdale community, staff and Governing Board,” stated Dr. Birdwell. “Scottsdale has a strong legacy of dedicated teachers in excelling schools supporting all learners. I look forward to building on that foundation as we work with stakeholders to help shape the future of Scottsdale schools.” The SUSD offers 30 schools, serving approximately 24,000 students. School boundaries include parts of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix and Tempe. Information regarding SUSD can be found at www.susd.org.
Close Encounters With Music will present the fascinating phenomenon of Jewish music, spanning multitudes of cultures and centuries – its ancient roots, its meandering trails as it wends its way across continents, and its contribution to the American voice – Wednesday, February 15, at 7:30pm at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Works by Gershwin, Bernstein, Mendelssohn and Max Bruch (non-Jewish, but who adopted Jewish modes and themes) will be performed. And of course, expect a touch of Klezmer, the toe-tapping Eastern European celebratory music imbued with spirituality. Medieval Iberian ballad repertoire will meet German Enlightenment (Bruch’s “Kol Nidre” and Mendelssohn’s captivating “Song without Words”). The musical material has been passed from generation to generation, with adaptations, emendations, additions and reinterpretations. Ravel’s rendition of “Kaddish,” which recycles the ancient Artistic Director Yehuda Hanani chant in Aramaic for the departed dating back to the First Century, will be sung by tenor Cody Austin. Joining Close Encounters’ artistic director Yehuda Hanani and tenor Austin are pianist Roman Rabinovich, violinist Rachel Lee Priday and clarinetist Shengwen Wu. This journey will include a work by celebrated American composer Paul Schoenfield for piano trio that has become an audience – and performer – favorite. Schoenfield’s “Café Music” has clear hybrid influences – a little vaudeville, a touch of Tin Pan Alley and plenty of shtick and Yiddish theater. Schoenfield’s music attracts listeners with its combination of exuberance and seriousness, familiarity and originality, lightness and depth, often with sly, zany twists. For tickets, call 480.499.8587 or visit www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org. For additional information, visit www.cewm.org.
Have A Close Encounter: Discovery Of Jewish Music
A Celebration Of Latin And Hispanic Cultures Each year, the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts La Gran Fiesta showcases live Latin music and dance, arts and crafts, fun activities for families, delicious cuisine and more. This year’s highlights include a free concert with Los Angeles-based band Salt Petal, known for their crossborder fusion of Argentine folk, Brazilian tropicalia, cumbia and indie rock. Guests are invited to bring blankets and lawn chairs and enjoy a relaxing afternoon of great entertainment. The free event takes place outdoors at the Scottsdale Civic Center Park, 3939 North Drinkwater Boulevard, Sunday, February 19, from 12-4pm. For additional information, call 480.499.8587 or visit www. scottsdaleperformingarts.org.
Salt Petal; Photo: Jesus-Villa-Caratachea