by Kirby Lindsay, posted 4 February 2013
On Valentine’s Day, Thursday, February 14th, starting at 7p, lovers of music, food, drink and/or all of the above, can enjoy a special one-night-only experience of the Romance cultures with an innovative and creative evening called ‘Taste The Music’ at The Backdoor @ Roxy’s.
This fundraiser for Savor The Sound offers audience members a romantic, sensory opportunity to enjoy the talents of master of mixology Jayson Cottam, chef Andrew Coker, and musician Eric Fridrich. Each artist has crafted their takes on Paris, Venice and Carnevale, to be served up by The Backdoor staff in an elegant yet comfortable setting.
‘Taste The Music’ offers an evening of delightful dining for attendees, and hours and hours of early music education to children at area preschools through Savor The Sound.
Support For ‘Savor The Sound’
Eric Fridrich teaches music, and music appreciation, with a curriculum that merges listening, dancing, singing, and instrumental play into, usually, a half hour. “Part of what I do is improvisational,” explained Fridrich, after a class at Lake Union Preschool. Rather than follow a set plan, Fridrich works with the children where they are at, within the attention level and interests of his students, to learn a few key concepts with every lesson.
“I’m breaking everything down to its simplest sounds,” Fridrich said. When focused on rhythm, he can teach his students not only the beats but also the silences between them so they learn the value of both, but at a basic level if that is all they can grasp that day.
During a recent class, he started with a very simple waltz beat, but ended with a demonstration of a hambone rhythm. “I can expand on something they are doing,” he observed, if they show interest, and aptitude.
Courtney Holmes, also with Savor The Sound, observed how music education, “teaches you how to create, and how to be a follower too.” Playing an instrument, and creating music with others, can teach teamwork through creativity.
Ultimately, Savor The Sound is about expanding the minds of the next generation, and creating social change through music understanding. “I can give them greater impressions,” Fridrich said, “that music is a huge world.” Studies have shown many positive effects of early musical education, but Fridrich sees it expanding the intellect and opening the horizons of the students to the greater benefit to the world around them.
A Chance To Enjoy The Art
The benefits of musical education are widely accepted, but schools can rarely afford to offer a music curriculum – particularly not one taught by an instructor as knowledgeable (or connected to other musicians) as Fridrich. He has created Savor The Sound to provide that opportunity, and he hopes that by organizing creative, interesting fundraisers, he can find people willing to fund more classes at more schools.
“This is the third one,” Fridrich acknowledged of ‘Taste The Music,’ “but each one has been wildly different.” This year, Fridrich and Holmes partnered with the artisans at the Backdoor for a unique culinary and auditory experience.
Fridrich, Coker and Cottam considered the themes of a Parisian Café, a Venetian Gondola, and Latin Carnevale, and created magic and art from them, within their medium. Fridrich and fellow musicians will perform music throughout the evening, while servers present dishes and drinks invented by Coker and Cottam specifically for this evening, and those who choose to indulge and enjoy.
A Buy-Out Evening
Backdoor @ Roxy’s owner, Peter Glick, welcomes this opportunity to transform the sophisticated speakeasy-style restaurant & bar into a forum for Romance cultures, and culinary/music appreciation, for one night. “That’s what we like,” he said of ‘Taste The Music,’ “that we get to customize the meals, customize the drinks, customize the entertainment,” for an audience ready and willing to be served.
Glick acknowledged that he’d like to welcome more and more evenings like ‘Taste The Music,’ for the benefit of his customers – and his staff. “We get to showcase the food and the cocktails,” he said of this buy-out evening, “it really makes it fun for the staff.”
Having assembled a talented and capable staff, Glick seeks more opportunities for them to exercise their creativity. “You want to be something for everyone,” he observed of the restaurant business (Glick has operated 15 different establishments, and in addition to The Backdoor, he currently has Roxy’s Diner and Pete’s Fremont Fire Pit in Seattle,) “and you can’t.” Instead, “buy-outs are the direction we’d like to go in,” he said, with The Backdoor closed to the general public but open for those looking for a special evening of high quality entertainment, food, and drinks. “I’d love to sell that package,” he explained, for private parties and fundraisers.
On Valentine’s Day, ‘Taste The Music’ will give diners – at $150 per couple (tax and gratuity included) – a taste of all the best that the Backdoor and Savor The Sound have to offer. An evening of romance, music and culinary treats, served by a staff dedicated to making the night magical, in a location known for style and charm.
For tickets to Taste The Music, visit Brown Paper Tickets, before they sell out. To find out more about the Washington non-profit Savor The Sound, visit the website.
Even those with an inability to appreciate the amazing tastes and sensational sounds should consider attending. Come give more children access to music education, and to take that knowledge, “out into the world in general,” Fridrich observed, to potentially play instruments, and definitely be instruments of social change.
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©2013 Kirby Lindsay. This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws. Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.