If 1967 was “the summer of love” in San Francisco, 2016 might be the summer of music in Platteville.
Three new music events will join the annual Platteville Main Street Program Music in the Park series on Thursdays and the annual Platteville High School pops concert Monday night.
Monday also will be when Platteville Public Schools receives its second consecutive Best Communities for Music Education award from the NAMM Foundation, a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants.
The recognition ceremony will be held in the PHS Commons Monday at 5:45 p.m., with PHS alumni Mark Fairchild and David Schoonover speaking. That will be followed by the PHS student music awards at 5:15 p.m. and the annual pops concert at 7 p.m.
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Fairchild, a 2004 PHS graduate, studied music education at UW–Platteville and UW–Eau Claire. He performs with Thirsty Jones (with which he is touring this summer), Devil’s Fen, Derp, and The Madison Wind Ensemble. He played with the Green Bay Packers’ TundraLine drum line from 2010 to 2015, and has owned and operated E.A. Entertainment, a professional DJ business, since 2005. He has been nominated for 22 Madison Area Music Awards.
Schoonover, a 2010 PHS graduate, earned a Master of Music degree from George Mason University in May. His most recent musical roles include Schunard in Puccini’s “La Bohème” and Samuel in Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance” with the Mason Opera House in Los Angeles. This summer, he will perform the roles of Billy Bigelow in “Carousel” and Antonio in “Le Nozze di Figaro” with the Bethesda Summer Musical Festival in Maryland.
The pops concert will also feature an intergenerational men’s choir for males from fifth grade to adult. Practice will be in the PHS choir room Sunday at 7 p.m. To register, go to plattevillechoirs.weebly.com.
Two days later, UW–Platteville will begin its first Backyard Concert Series, free outdoor live music near the Center for the Arts June 8, July 20 and Aug. 10 from 4 to 6 p.m.
“The Backyard Concert Series grew out of two ideas,” said Benjamin Finley, assistant director of the Center for the Arts. “The first is to continue the sesquicentennial celebrations all summer, and the second is to engage the Platteville community and give back in the best way we know.”
The concerts will include Johnny and Molly of the group Communist Daughter (which will be performing at UW–Platteville in November) June 8, the Americana and bluegrass band WheelHouse July 20, and Twin Cities musician Vonnie Kyle Aug. 10.
Food and beverages will be available for purchase. In the case of inclement weather, the concert will be moved inside. For more information, go to www.uwplatt.edu/cfa/backyard.
The first day of summer June 21 will be the first Make Music Platteville, a daylong citywide event with musical performances in seven Platteville locations, part of an international summer solstice music celebration.
Performances are scheduled for City Park, Driftless Market, Erschen’s Florist, the Mining and Rollo Jamison Museums, the Platteville Regional Chamber Katie’s Garden, the Mitchell–Rountree Stone Cottage, and Benvenuto’s Italian Grill. The last City Park performance will be the PHS band and family and friends at 6 p.m.
Make Music Platteville is sponsored by the National Association of Music Merchants, the Platteville Main Street Program, West Music, Ward Brodt Music, and the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin.
Registration is open for venues and participation sign-up, with the deadline June 10. To register or to volunteer the day of the event, go to http://makemusicday.org/platteville/ or contact Nancy Fairchild, 348-9945, nfairchild2@gmail.com.
Two days later, the annual Platteville Main Street Program Music in the Park will hold the first of nine concerts Thursdays from June 23 to Aug. 25 at 6 p.m.
The schedule includes The Wundo Band June 23, Okham’s Razor June 30, the City Band July 14, Aquatic Hitchhikers July 21, the Ken Kilian Classic Big Band July 28 as part of the Hometown Festival Week Party in the Park, Mascot Theory Aug. 4, Point Five Aug. 11, Class Brass Aug. 18 and Mighty Wheelhouse Aug. 25.
Sponsors include the Platteville Main Street Program, Gina›s Restaurant & Bar, the City of Platteville, Wisconsin Bank & Trust, and Ubersox Auto Group.
The annual Hometown Festival Week will conclude Saturday, July 30 with the first Southwest Music Festival on Second Street in downtown Platteville. Main-stage musical acts include Black Water Gin at 7 p.m. and the Blue Water Highway Band at 9 p.m., with performers elsewhere during the afternoon and evening.
A craft and vendor fair, with local musicians, will be held in City Park July 30 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.For more information, go to www.platteville.com.
Alison Parkins of UW–Platteville contributed to this story.
