Dream-Come-True Night On Tap For Local Youngsters At The Morton Arboretum

Excited High Schoolers To Play In Concert With Major, Classic Rock Acts

LISLE, IL (June 8, 2006) – Imagine: you’re a high school musician, maybe dreaming of a career in music, and you suddenly get a “gig” to play onstage – in a major rock band!

When The Morton Arboretum presents two legendary acts in one show:  Blood, Sweat and Tears and Chuck Negron (formerly of Three Dog Night) in concert June 24, it’s going to be an unforgettable night for some local youngsters.

Teens in the audience will be introduced to some awesome tunes – in some cases – played by their own classmates!

The Oswego High School marching band plans to play famous BST songs, such as "You've Made Me So Very Happy," "And When I Die," and "Spinning Wheel” for their football halftime shows this fall. When the Arboretum told BST about these plans, the rock band invited an alto saxophonist, a trombonist, and a trumpeter from the school band to play a number with BST onstage at the Arboretum concert in Lisle! They’ll also play “Joy To The World” with Chuck Negron.

What will it be like for youngsters to perform with a historic group like BST, which scored an unprecedented five Grammy awards for their first album alone?

“The kids were already really pumped to play Blood, Sweat and Tears music,” said Glen Schneider, Oswego High School Assistant Band Director. “Now this – it’s way cool,” he said.

BST has a history of encouraging young performers, sharing its knowledge and helping kids flourish. BST’s Elsie Monica Colomby Music Scholarship has quietly made donations to music schools or individual young artists over the years, said band manager Larry Dorr. In fact, the group views itself as something of a conservatory, with proud alumni including Chris Botti, formerly of BST and Sting, now on his own. There were also trumpeters Randy Brecker and Lew Soloff; saxophonists Joe Henderson and Gregory Herbert; bassist Jaco Pastorius, keyboard player/singer Al Kooper, and drummer Bobby Colomby.

For tickets, you may visit www.mortonarb.org, www.ticketweb.com, or the Arboretum Visitor Center. Also, you may call the Arboretum at 630-725-2066. Prices for members and non-members: $17 in advance or $20 day of show. Lawn opens at 4:30 p.m.; opening act Cathy Richardson starts at 6:00 p.m. The main event begins 7:30 p.m.

The Morton Arboretum is an internationally recognized 1,700-acre outdoor museum with collections of more than 3,700 kinds of trees, shrubs, and other plants from around the world. The Arboretum's beautiful natural landscapes, gardens, research and education programs, and year-round family activities support its mission – the planting and conservation of trees and other plants for a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world. Conveniently located at I-88 and Rte. 53 in Lisle, Illinois, the Arboretum is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CDT) and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CST). The Children's Garden is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CDT) and 9:30 to 4 p.m. (CST). Visit www.mortonarb.org or call 630/968-0074 to learn more.

Media Contact:    Gina Tedesco, 630-725-2103, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Marty Cusack, 630-719-5768, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it