The Sheldon will join forces with Cardinals Care this week to show kids some unexpected similarities between baseball and the blues. Two concerts will be staged at the Sheldon Concert Hall on June 27 and 28 featuring Coco Soul and The Sheldon Blues Ensemble.
According to Chris Peimann, Director of Marketing and Publicity for the Sheldon, the event aims to show kids how both baseball and music require teamwork, improvisation, and respect for diversity.
“We have focused on the blues for the past couple of years for a few reasons—most of all because the blues is one of St. Louis’ great contributions to the music world,” said Peimann. “Much like the Cardinals, when people think about St. Louis, they think about blues music.”
In addition to the music, the concerts will include an introduction to the history of the blues in St. Louis and its influence on other genres such as rock and roll and R&B.
Peimann expects a large turnout of children, parents and coaches who participate in Redbird Rookies, a youth development program run by Cardinals Care. The latter is the nonprofit team foundation of the St. Louis Cardinals. Committed to its motto “Caring for Kids,” Cardinals Care promotes sports, education, health and the arts for St. Louis-area children and their families.
Since 2006, the Sheldon and Cardinals Care have collaborated to stage seven kid-friendly concerts featuring blues or jazz music.
“These concerts have become an annual event that kids, parents and coaches look forward to every year,” said Peimann.
For more information, visit thesheldon.org.