Don Lewis and Young Expressions

Young Expressions Showcased Artistic Fusion

Pleasanton Musician, Don Lewis
and Local Students Perform

In this annual event, the City of Pleasanton Civic Arts hosts professional Pleasanton musician Don Lewis and a troupe of local student artists in Young Expressions. They showcase their impressive talent in an inspiring multi-media show. The event for 2006 was in October at the Amador Theater on the Amador Valley High School Campus in Pleasanton, CA. It was followed by a "meet-the-artists" reception in the school library. Civic Arts is a program of the City of Pleasanton Department of Parks and Community Services.

Young Expressions showcased a fusion of musical eras, genres and talent — traditional to contemporary, classical to pop, vocal to instrumental. The production featured students who applied for Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council scholarships, many of whom plan careers in the performing arts.

"The theme that ran through this show is one of connectedness," says the show's writer and producer, Julie Lewis. "We acknowledged that negatives exist in the world, but showed how music and art can make the world a better place by healing and creating an atmosphere of well being and peace."

About Don Lewis

Don Lewis is a musician and educator who began playing piano as a Dayton, OH, high school student. Later, at Tuskagee Institute, he performed with the Tuskagee Chorus and played for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Freedom Rallies. Don became a pioneer in synthesizer use and technology and, in 1977, designed and built a synthesizer system that was an inspiration for Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI). It is now on display at the Museum for Making Music in Carlsbad, CA. Don's varied career has included performances worldwide and studio artist work with celebrities such as Quincy Jones and Sergio Mendez. He has created scores for film and television and has composed music for commercial videos. To learn more about Don Lewis, please visit his website at www.donlewismusic.com.

About the Performers

Performing with Don Lewis were alto saxophonist Michael Czaja, dramatist Caitlin O'Leary, vocalist Josselyn O'Neill and pianists Sierra Stevens and Brian Szeto.

Michael Czaja is a sophomore at Foothill High School and has performed at Pleasanton's Youth Music Festival and Children's Arts Festival for several years. He plays first alto in Foothill's Jazz Band A for the second year and has won solo awards at the Campana Jazz Festival as well as the Folsom, Santa Cruz and Reno Jazz Festivals.

Caitlin O'Leary is a theater student at Cal State East Bay and has studied with the American Musical Theater of San Jose Conservatory for two years. She has won many awards for her acting and hopes to perform on Broadway. In Young Expressions, she and Don Lewis play the roles of spoken word "connectors" between musical segments.

Josselyn O'Neill is a junior at Amador Valley High School. She began voice lessons at age five and has performed in many local musicals and at UCLA's Performing Arts Camp. In addition, Josselyn has achieved honors in voice competition with the California Music Teachers Association. Currently, she participates in the Young Rep's Musical Theatre Program at the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts.

Sierra Stevens is a graduate of Foothill High School and is currently a Las Positas College student where she is studying music. She says, "Music is not a passion; it's a lifestyle." While in high school, Sierra performed in the orchestra for the Amador and Foothill High Schools Spring Concert and played organ for her church. Recently, she was hired as pianist for all Pleasanton Playhouse productions.

Brian Szeto is a sophomore at Foothill High School who has received awards at many competitions, including the East Bay Music Festival and the U.S. Open Competition. He has performed in several Junior Bach Festival concerts in Berkeley, CA. Brian now studies cello and string bass and plays cello in Foothill's string orchestra. He plays bass guitar as a hobby.

About Civic Arts

Civic Arts is a program of the City of Pleasanton Department of Parks and Community Services. Its mission is to provide creative outreach to the citizens of Pleasanton and the surrounding area through opportunities to experience a wide variety of the arts. Civic Arts manages the Amador Theater on the Amador Valley High School campus in Pleasanton, CA, where it produces Civic Arts Presents and the School Concert Series. The program offers an array of classes in many forms of artistic expression for all age groups. Civic Arts sponsors Pleasanton's Poet Laureate and Public Art programs as well as special arts-centered events such as the Children's Arts Festival, the Poetry, Prose & Arts Festival, and Free Shakespeare in the Park by the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. Recorded information about all upcoming Civic Arts events is available at 925-931-5361, see www.civicartstickets.org or our Events Calendar page.

©2007-2008 PCAC