20th/21st-century music festival introduces young pianists to new classical music

When we think of classical music, our first thoughts are of artists like Mozart or Beethoven. But classical music is more than a collection of composers who have long since passed, but it is a genre of music that is still being developed by contemporary composers. The Grand Valley State University Department of Music, Theater and Dance hopes to foster that realization through the 20th/21st-Century Piano Festival. 

Held Saturday, Nov. 7, the festival is in its sixth year of being organized by professor Sookkyung Cho. The event focuses on providing a performance experience for about 70-80 K-12 students, or “pre-college” as the festival terms them. This year, the event is hosted on the GVSU Piano Facebook page where all videos will be streamed.  

Read the full story at www.lantorn.com.

John Ball Zoo presents IllumiZoo – A Glenlore Tale

For the first time in its history, John Ball Zoo is putting on IllumiZoo – A Glenlore Tale. From Sunday, Oct. 10 through Sunday, Nov. 15, event-goers have the opportunity to walk the zoo and experience a large display of lights and colors that explore the illuminating connections between wildlife and wild places. 

IllumiZoo – A Glenlore Tale begins at 6 p.m. and is a one-mile outdoor trail through the zoo that takes about 45-60 minutes to walk and winds through the lower and upper realms of the zoo. The family-friendly event incorporates projections, LED light displays and audio to help tell the tale of conservation and how everyone is connected to one another and nature around them.

Read the full story at www.lantorn.com

GRPM takes viewers to the Ice Age at Under the Arctic exhibit

This fall, the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) brought an interactive and engaging exhibit to the community that strives to educate viewers on climate change. The Under the Arctic exhibit will run from Sept. 26 to April 25. The GRPM welcomes all ages to come and enjoy the exhibit and learn more about the issue of climate change.

GRPM collaborated with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The exhibit includes a 30-foot-long Alaskan permafrost tunnel replica, allowing visitors to feel fully engaged. The exhibit also offers fossil research stations and interactive games.