Charette to perform Friday at PIHS
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – Presque Isle elementary school students and their families will be singing along with singer-songwriter Rick Charette at a concert Friday night.
Known for such songs as “I Love Mud,” “Bubblegum” and “Alligator in the Elevator,” Charette will perform Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Presque Isle High School gymnasium. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
“The concert is for Presque Isle elementary students and their families, and admission is free,” said Melanie Junkins, president of the Presque Isle Elementary PTO, which is sponsoring the concert. “We wanted to give the students an opportunity to spend time with their families at a cultural event, and to help break up the cabin fever.
File photo
MAINE SINGER-SONGWRITER Rick Charette will perform a free concert at 7 p.m. Friday at the Presque Isle High School gymnasium for Presque Isle elementary school students and their families. The concert is sponsored by the Presque Isle Elementary PTO, which brings Charette to SAD 1 every two years. Children must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the concert. In this photo from 2009, Charette is joined by Al the Alligator for the song, “Alligator in the Elevator.”
“The PTO brings Rick Charette to the district every two years,” she said. “He’s been here a number of times, and the kids love him. They sing his songs in music class, so they’re very familiar with his music. It will be a good time.”
Children must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the concert.
A life-long resident of Maine, Charette has released 10 albums, two children’s picture books, and two live concert videos. His performances blend original contemporary pop music and lyrics with imaginative activities that generate audience participation.
Charette graduated from the University of Southern Maine with degrees in music education and English. He has been a featured speaker at the Northeast Whole Language Conference, a keynote speaker at the National Association for the Education of Young Children Conference in Washington, D.C., as well as other education conferences around the United States.
Traveling throughout the United States and Canada, Charette has appeared at such venues as Riverfest in Little Rock, Ark., Boston Citywide Arts, and the Imagination Parade, a live concert radio broadcast in New York City. His music has been featured on Peter Pan and Walt Disney Records and has been cited in “Entertainment Weekly” and “Billboard” magazines. Charette’s music receives airplay on such radio networks as KTOO-FM in Juneau, Alaska, which syndicates its program “We Like Kids” on 35 public radio stations around the country. Concert excerpts of his songs are a regular feature on “The Learning Channel.”
There will be an opportunity to purchase CDs, books and DVDs at Friday’s concert.
