Arts

On-Air Highlights for Nov. 6-8

If you missed Thursday's premiere of the newest Kentucky Muse program, Eighty-Eight Keys, Three Hundred Years, here's another chance to catch this entertaining musical history of the piano. The show featured Diane Earle, a professor of music at Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, who created a concert in celebration of the 300th anniversary of the piano in 2009.

Earle treats viewers to a 30-minute musical timeline, including pieces by Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Henry Cowell, and George Gershwin. The Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas Palmer, accompanies her on two of the pieces. Earle also shares her personal story as a passionate pianist from age 6, whose love for the piano has led to her 25-year teaching career as well as performances around the world. Visit the Muse Web site for more information the program, the pieces performed, Earle, and the piano. Read what Lexington Herald-Leader arts columnist Rich Copley had to say about the program at the Copious Notes blog.
• Sunday at 10:30/9:30 pm CT on KET2

See a complete listing of this weekend’s arts programs.

See You at the Book Fair

For Kentucky readers, one of the best days of the year is the fall Saturday when authors gather en masse in Frankfort for the Kentucky Book Fair. This year's fair is Saturday (Nov. 7), from 9 am to 4:30 pm at the Frankfort Convention Center. Admission is free. While you're there be sure to stop by the KET booth and register to win a package of KET prizes, including a DVD of the Kentucky Muse program, A Novel Approach. Find out more about the fair and the hundreds of authors expected at the Book Fair Web site. To learn more about the history of the fair, you can watch a Kentucky Life segment online.

KET Arts Picks for Teachers

Online Connections

Dr. Diane Earle plays the piano
The Kentucky Muse program Eighty-Eight Keys, Three Hundred Years offers students of all ages a musical history of the piano. Dr. Diane Earle's performances of an array of piano pieces is interspersed with information about the instrument and those who have composed for it. There's additional information at the Muse Web site. Check out the PianoPedia resources with piano history, an explanation of how a piano works, and fun trivia and quotes.

Arts Toolkits

If you teach arts, arts and humanities, or social studies—or are interested in incorporating performance and creativity into any subject—check out the KET Arts Toolkits in Drama, Dance, Visual Arts, and Music.

The boxed kits are available to Kentucky educators for only $99 per kit, plus shipping, with discounts for orders of more than one copy.

You’ll find an order form, along with additional free resources, at the Arts Toolkit Web site.

Birth of the March King

November 6 is the anniversary of the birth of John Philip Sousa. Sousa was born in Washington, DC. He wrote so many marches—136 to be exact—that he is known as the "March King."

The Dallas Wind Symphony Web site has some fun online information about Sousa and his music.

Find out what happened in the arts today and every day in the Arts Toolkit’s This Day in the Arts calendar.