An Alternative to MTV

Most parents who are fed up with their children’s music don’t start a new orchestra to counteract it. But then, most parents don’t have the resources and background of composer-conductor Norman Mamey.

While attending a function at his child’s school that featured rafter-shaking tunes, Mamey--who has a master’s degree in symphonic conducting and numerous entertainment industry credits--wondered: “Why aren’t they playing something better than that?”

So Mamey decided to develop an orchestra to provide an alternative. And when Friends of the Glendale Library, on whose board Mamey serves, wanted to put on a family event, he arranged to do a talk and concert Friday night entitled “An Evening With George Gershwin,” featuring the composer’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and “An American in Paris.”

Mamey recommends Gershwin’s works as a transition to classical music for parents worried about the effect of radio and MTV on their children.

“I don’t know what else I can do as a parent,” he said.

Mamey eventually wants to do evenings with Debussy and Mozart “to bring the people into the fold. To get more people to listen to classical music.”

Mamey’s 50-piece Symphony of the New World Orchestra will be set up on the main floor of the library at 222 E. Harvard St., where, the conductor said, “the acoustics are incredible. It is so luscious in there. It’s the perfect place to do a concert.”

Admission for Friends of Library members is free. For non-members, it’s $15, and $2.50 for children up to 12 years. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the program starts at 7:30 p.m.