In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Uptown Music Collective (UMC) will present "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," a tribute to Pink Floyd music, at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Community Arts Center, 220 W. Fourth St.
During the performance, "Dark Side of the Moon" and "Wish You Were Here" will be performed in their entirety. These albums were written in tribute to the late Syd Barrett, one of Pink Floyd's original founding members.
Besides a live concert performance, the show will feature a professional light and sound show, including a full-scale video component prepared by Scott Francis and students from the Collective's audio-video recording arts program.
Jared Mondell, student-teacher liaison, said Dave Brumbaugh and his staff of teachers decided to revisit these particular albums because it was the first large-scale performance by the Collective in the spring of 2004.
In addition to private donations and grants, the nonprofit school uses the money raised by concert performances to help alleviate some of the cost of student tuition and keep the Collective going.
Even though the school is for musicians of all ages, Mondell said the core group of students range in age from 13 to 18.
"The UMC is an outlet for all musicians, regardless of age, who wish to expand their musical creativity," Mondell said. "The UMC school of music offers lessons, classes and workshops in several instruments and educates student musicians in a variety of skills and styles. The collective has earned a reputation for its talented students, comprehensive music education and is viewed as the premier source for music education in the area."
Mondell said the Collective started small with about 20 to 30 members and has grown to include more than 120 students.
"The Collective has given me a deeper appreciation of music," said Jonah Walters, sophomore at Lewisburg High School and a three-year student of UMC. "The great thing about the collective is you are taught different styles on a variety of instruments."
Walters acknowledged when he joined the Collective, he was very much into punk music, but now is exploring jazz.
"With the Collective we can study more advanced music," Walters said. "We learn to appreciate music on a deeper level."
Katie Shaw, a senior at Williamsport Area High School, who plays electric and acoustic guitar, has been a member of the Collective for four years.
"The Collective has taught me responsibility and discipline," Shaw said.
Shaw, who is very excited about the upcoming performance and admited that she loves to "rock it out," said she was a "techie" during the collective's Pink Floyd "The Wall" performance and has been listening to the band ever since.
According to UMC officials, "techies" are an extremely valuable component of the show and tend to be younger students who are not quite ready to perform on stage.
Josh Hines, a Jersey Shore Area High School junior, sings and plays guitar for the collective.
"The best part about the Collective is meeting different people with different musical styles," Hines said. "The UMC is a great outlet for local musicians. It's going to be a great show."
Torey Harding, a Montgomery High School senior, has been with the collective since its creation and has been playing guitar since he was 6 years old.
"Everyone that comes to the Collective comes with the same goal; to become better musicians," Harding said.
Caylee Cantor, Loyalsock, 19, who is a singer, attends the school with her two sisters, Kelsey, 16, who plays bass, and Shannon, 14, who plays the electric and acoustic guitar.
"The Collective provides my whole family an opportunity to learn and perform music together," Cantor said.
In the past, the UMC has presented theatrical productions of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and "Dark Side of the Moon," The Who's "Tommy," "Woodstock," "Lollapalooza," "Let It Be" (a tribute to the Beatles album and film of the same name) and last year's "Achilles' Last Stand" (a tribute to Led Zeppelin.)
According to school officials, all of these shows have been met with rave reviews and standing ovations from local audiences.
Future plans for the collective include a 48 hour blues session at the end of May in an attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest blues jam ever performed.
For more information, students and musicians should call 329-0888.
Tickets for the event are $12 at the door and $10 in advance.
