Kids to discover classical music, with help from Classical KDFC, at the Tech Museum on Saturday, Oct. 1

A musical instrument petting zoo? Pint-sized digital music composers? Cartoon soundtracks by the greats? All coming up at the Tech Museum.

Contact: Allison Engel at (213) 740-1927 or allison.engel@usc.edu

A family fair, KDFC’s Discovery Day at the Tech, a new effort to introduce children to the joys of classical music, will be held at The Tech Museum of Innovation, 201 S. Market St. in San Jose, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Children will have multiple opportunities to interact with vocal and instrumental classical music, including opportunities to:

• Create their own music using digital instruments
• Visit a “petting zoo” of acoustic instruments where they can play a variety of wind, string and percussion instruments
• Make their own musical instruments (with help from Music in Schools Today, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that also will supervise the petting zoo)
• Participate in music exercises with teachers from Music for Minors, a San Carlos-based organization
• Watch a fun compilation of Bugs Bunny cartoons that make memorable use of classical music, such as The Rabbit of Seville and What’s Opera, Doc?

There will be live performances running throughout the fair, including the Friction Quartet, an ensemble from the San Francisco Conservatory, and members of the South Bay-based S’Cool Spirit Band Program. Broadcasting live from the event will be popular KDFC hosts Hoyt Smith, Dianne Nicolini and Ray White.

Other groups participating in the fair will include the Berkeley-based Philharmonia Baroque, the San Francisco Conservatory’s Pre-College program and Music at Kohl Mansion.

The event is free to all who mention “Classical KDFC” upon entry.

The KDFC Discovery Day at the Tech coincides with a large instrument drive taking place across the entire Bay Area from Sept. 26 through Oct. 7. With the help of Music in Schools Today and other organizations, Classical KDFC is hoping to distribute lightly-used instruments to hundreds of children in underserved communities.

Classical KDFC also is reaching out to its arts organization partners across the Bay Area to help the station in its continuing effort to expose families to classical music. On its website and in broadcast messages, KDFC will be showcasing groups involved in musical outreach, in-school teaching and family concerts.

[Photo courtesy of The Tech Museum of Innovation]