Grosse Ile Musicale Featured Artist And CD Release Friday

Musician, music teacher will open Grosse Ile Musicale’s 84th seasonBy Andrea Blum
[email protected]; Twitter: @AndreaBlum1

See the original article on thenewsherald.com.

A musical tradition 84 years strong returns with the 2015 Grosse Ile Musicale season.

Vocalist Dave Martin of Wyandotte will be the featured artist with a program called “Songs of Prayer and Praise,” consisting of songs he wrote for worship at Grosse Ile Presbyterian Church, along with cellist Michael Karoub. The first performance of the 2015-16 season takes place at 2 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Grosse Ile Yacht Club, 29677 E. River Road.

Winner of the 2012 Downriver Idol competition, Martin is the music teacher at West Middle School in Taylor. He also has taught music at the Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center’s fine arts camp and is the lead singer and guitarist for several bands, including the Classics, The Bel Airs and the 120 Minute Men.

The Musicale will feature a storyteller’s format with anecdotes behind the songs told between performances, spanning from 2012’s “20 Beautiful Children” to “No Favorite Child,” which premiered Sept. 20.

The performance also will serve as the release for a CD that collects 1 1/2 years of Martin’s original songs recorded by the full GIPC band (pianist Doug Scott, bassist Godfrey Porter, and drummer Jason Cassell as well as Martin and Karoub) during worship services.

The Musicale was founded by Rose Marie Karmazin, who brought a group of women she thought would be interested in classical music programs to her home in December 1931. The first official meeting was held in January 1932.

In the early days, programs were held in homes and the women themselves provided the music or a talk about music. That evolved into bringing in professional musicians and with expanded membership, programs are held either in churches, the Grosse Ile Yacht Club or the Grosse Ile Country Club.

Every year since its founding, the club awards a scholarship to one or more graduating seniors who have won an audition. In 2015, three talented seniors received a total of $2,500. In 2005, membership was opened up to off-islanders and to men. Jack Frucci is the first male president of the group and is serving his second year in that post.

The Grosse Ile Musicale season will include five programs, including a trip to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra coffee concert in April followed by a luncheon downtown. In May, scholarship winners perform at the annual meeting.

For those interested in joining the Grosse Ile Musicale, membership is $40 for an individual and $60 for a couple residing in the same household. An additional amount can be marked for the scholarship fund. Guest fees are $10. Checks can be sent to treasurer Gene Swift at 28707 Chatham, Grosse Ile, MI 48138.