Here's a tip for Lake County parents: If your kids show even the slightest interest in music, then get them into the youth music programs presented by Clear Lake Performing Arts.

The results might just be similar to what attendees at the summer concert of the CLPA Youth Orchestra saw and heard at the group's summer concert, held Sunday, June 8, at Kelseyville Presbyterian Church's friendship hall.

First, conductor and instructor Wes Follett makes sure his young charges are playing music they really like.

To this end he opened the program with the crowd-pleasing "Wabash Cannon Ball," but immediately afterward went serious with "Arioso" by Johann Sebastian Bach.

In fact Bach played a leading role in the concert because after playing "Ronda Alla Turca" by Mozart the orchestra returned to Bach. with "Brandenburg Concerto, No 3," – first movement.

This was followed by what Follett described as probably the most difficult piece his young musicians had ever tackled – the "Brandenburg Concerto.2nd movement."

In fact he said that he tried to distance himself from selecting the music, but the members of the orchestra insisted they were up to handling its difficult passages, and they proved that this was indeed the case.

"Brother James Air" a hymn by Scottish composer James MacBeth Bain – featuring four-part instrumentation and based loosely on "The Lord's Prayer" – was next on the program.

Afterward, Assistant Conductor Eleanor Cook took the podium to lead the orchestra in playing themes from two academy-award winning films "Titanic's "My Heart Will Go On" and "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas, on both of which the orchestra excelled, in part because, with much practice, they had already played them at concerts of the Lake County Symphony.

The finale, again conducted by Follett, was the theme from another academy-award winning blockbuster 1981's "Chariots of Fire." Those familiar with the piece were baffled as to how an orchestra consisting only of strings and flutes would be able to pull off a number that relies so heavily on percussion – but not to worry. Mark Rudiger, father of violinist Clayton, stepped in to wield drumsticks for a satisfying conclusion to the evening.

Persons interested in finding out more about youth music programs in Lake County may contact Andi Skelton, who chairs the Youth Music committee of CLPA at 707-279-4336, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Paul Brewer, CLPA president at 707-279-0877, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..