MONTEREY COUNTY OFFICE OF ED FORUM

ON JULY 1 the MCOE and its savvy electronic media center MCAET hosted a three-hour forum—the first in a projected series called MCAETalks, modeled on the well-known TED talks—that gave the community, and the media, an update into how the Common Core Standards have restored the arts to their essential role in educating school children, locally and statewide. The event represented District 5 as defined by the California Dept. of Education comprising the counties of Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito and Santa Clara. Conspicuous by its absence was Santa Cruz, a usual leader in educational enlightenment. The event was well covered by Claudia Meléndez-Salinas in the Monterey Herald. The PBS Newshour lately reported on a related topic. To see it, click HERE

CLARINETIST NUCCIO GOING TO HOUSTON

MARK NUCCIO, who played a concert at Hidden Valley on June 29, is joining the Houston Symphony as principal clarinet. Nuccio has been associate principal and solo E-flat clarinet of the New York Philharmonic for 16 years, four of them as acting principal. The announcement was made on June 30.

BERKLEE COLLEGE TO MERGE WITH BOSTON CONSERVATORY?

EMPHASIZING JAZZ, the famous Berklee School is in talks with its neighboring Boston Conservatory. They could strengthen each other. Click HERE

PRINCE OF THE PLAYER PIANO

CONLON NANCARROW, unique composer who created original piano rolls by hand that no actual pianist could possibly master, is surveyed by Andrew Katzenstein. Click HERE

PERFORMING ARTS PEOPLE

I AM DELIGHTED to make this week’s PAP person DAVID GORDON, a good friend in a field of professionals often salted with pretenders. Click HERE

TWO NEW THEATER REVIEWS

SANTA CRUZ Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, and Layne Littlepage’s Everbody Says Don’t. Click HERE

OPENING THIS WEEK

CABRILLO STAGE begins its season with SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK. Paper Wing in Monterey launches PAN. PACREP serves up DR MERCURIO’S MYTHICAL MARVELS AND BEASTIRY. Sondheim’s INTO THE WOODS opens at The Western Stage. See our CALENDAR.

Scott MacClelland, editor