The Iowa City Public Library, 123 S. Linn St., will kick off Music is the Word, nine months of special programming, on Sept. 20 with a musical revue at the Englert Theater, 221 E. Washington St.
An entrance fee of $10 will get patrons in the door to enjoy performances from local artists and musicians, including members of the UI Pep Band. Admission will be free for those 5 and under.
Audience members can expect to see all genres represented at the revue, which will showcase the talent Iowa City has to offer.
“We want to showcase the wide variety of musical talent in Iowa City,” said Paul Bethke of the library’s Children’s Services in an Aug. 20 press release. “At the same time, we see this concert as an opportunity to introduce new genres to the audience — adults and children — who might not otherwise experience it.”
The idea for Music is the Word was conceived by the library in cooperation with University of Iowa Professor David Gier, the director of the School of Music, as a way to welcome the music school to downtown. The university began construction on the new Voxman Music Building, which will be located at the intersection of Burlington and Clinton Streets, in the spring of 2013. The project is slated for completion next summer, and that has those looking for a stronger relationship between the community and the university excited. Kara Logsden, the Public Library’s community-services coordinator, is one of those people.
“It’s good serendipity that the School of Music is moving downtown,” she said.
Logsden is one of the library employees who worked to plan Music is the Word, which is being promoted as a nine-month-long celebration of the music school’s new home. In addition to the revue at the Englert, the library will play host to a myriad of other events, including concerts, film and book discussions, and Christmas carol sing-alongs.
“We want to offer programming to the entire community, from the youngest child to our senior citizens,” said Maeve Clark, the library’s adult-services coordinator. “It is really going to be a grand time, and truly, there will be something for everyone.”
The library also hopes the series, running through May 2016, will draw more people to the facility, although it certainly is not suffering.
The library saw a record number of visitors last year, with more than 826,217, according to its fiscal 2015 annual report. The report also named collaboration as one of the library’s core values, which the library adhered to with partnerships with the Coralville and North Liberty public libraries, and most recently, with its partnership with the music school.
“There is nothing worse than having a wonderful facility and staff and programming and not letting the community know about it,” Clark said. “Our marketing campaign hopes to make sure that everyone knows about library and what it has to offer.”
MUSIC
Music is the Word, Musical Revue
When: 2 p.m. Sept. 20
Where: Englert, 221 E. Washington