Elm City Beat

New Haven, CT -- Neighborhood Music School brings back its popular Children’s Concert Series, starting with the upbeat sounds of Baby Loves Salsa – featuring the José Conde Band which will take place on Friday, January 22 at 4:00 pm at the School, 100 Audubon Street in New Haven. Tickets are $10.00 for Adults, $5.00 for Children age 2 and older, and free for Children under 2. Proceeds will benefit Neighborhood Music School’s Preschool and Toddler Programs. Tickets are on sale now at Neighborhood Music School, or by calling 203-624-5189.

Baby Loves Salsa is the story of a group of kittens and puppies (gattitos y perritos) from the streets of New York City who go on to become the best Salsa band in the land. Young and old alike will want to dance to the beat of original songs written by singer-songwriter José Conde. This talented performer draws inspiration from his Cuban roots, mixing Afro-Latin styles to his bilingual songs, including “Somos la Banda” (We are the Band), “Bailar Rapido” (Dance Fast) and “Mi Familia es las Musica” (Music is my Family) and others. The show is focused on educating young children about Salsa and all about Spanish in a way that families can enjoy together. More information about Baby Loves Salsa is available at www.babylovessalsa.com. This performance is made possible in part through the support of SAFT - World Leader in High Technology Batteries.

Future concerts in the series will feature Jay Mankita, a masterful guitarist, singer and songwriter, who is well known for his funny songs like “From a Dog's Stance”, “Tracy at the Bat”, and “The Cliche Song” as well as for his more moving material - songs like “Living Planet”, “Morning Face” and “Bread Alone”. Jay will perform on Friday, February 26. Next, the series features NMS faculty member, Naomi Senzer and Friends on March 19 performing “The Owl and the Pussycat”, written by Edward Lear with music by Laurence Scott, and “Willie Was Different”, written by Norman Rockwell with music by Seymour Barab. Performers include Naomi Senzer (flute), Julie Levene (clarinet), and Ellen Higham (violin and viola). Both shows are at 4pm at Neighborhood Music School.

Neighborhood Music School (NMS) is a nonprofit community arts school offering high-quality music, dance and drama instruction and programming at sites in New Haven and on the Shoreline. Established in downtown New Haven in 1911, NMS is now among the ten largest schools of its kind in the country, with 130 professional and dedicated teachers providing unique learning experiences to 3,000 children and adults residing in more than 80 towns throughout Connecticut. NMS programs are made possible in part with support from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism. To learn more about NMS, call 203‑624‑5189 or visit www.nmsmusicschool.org.