Zankel Music Center

The first-ever "Beatlemore Skidmania" show in the Arthur Zankel Music Center on Nov. 21 - make that two sold-out shows of 600 - was bigger than ever.

For starters, there were nearly four times as many audience members, since venerable Filene Recital Hall, site of the first nine shows, has a capacity of just under 300. (Tickets for this year's first show sold out in 15 minutes.) Second, there were an all-time high 23 musical acts? from the familiar Accents (a cappella) and Rust Brothers (faculty band) to the silly Schman Schmapson and the Schmearded Schmain Bows and the sweet-as-can-be Songs for Grandma. (In fact, 43 music acts applied to participate, another record.) Also bigger than ever was the amount of money raised for charity, with a first installment of $1,840 hand-carried to the president's office Nov. 23 by emcee and event originator, Professor of Music Gordon Thompson. Proceeds went to Skidmore Cares, which this year is supporting food pantries in Saratoga Springs.

Since its start in 2001, when students in Thompson's Beatles Seminar course asked if they could perform material they had been studying, "Beatlemore Skidmania" has always been about the music. The uniquely Skidmore twist has consistently been the original interpretations that the performers - mostly students, some alums, and a few faculty - have presented of classic Beatles songs. Highlights of this year's 10 ^th annual Beatles celebration included Drastic Measures' a cappella version of "Paperback Writer," Sticky Friction's rousing reggae version of "A Little Help from My Friends," Bailiwick's compelling "Lovely Rita," Dan Papson and the Purple Crayons groovin' "Got to Get You into My Life," and the Rust Brothers' Ray Charles-influenced "She Loves You" and "Drive My Car."

As far as anniversaries go, "Beatlemore Skidmania" still has some catching up to do, as Thompson was all too happy to point out to both audiences. This year also marks the 70th anniversaries of the births of John Lennon and Ringo Starr, the 50th anniversary of the group's trip to Hamburg where they "became a real band," the 40th anniversary of the Beatle's breakup, and the 30th anniversary of Lennon's tragic death.

"Beatlemore Skidmania" 2010 also added an educational dimension as Thompson gave his First-Year Seminar the tasks of recruiting, auditioning, and marketing the concert in conjunction with the College's staff. "Nothing can beat the hands-on experience of preparing a concert as a way to familiarize students with the intricacies and the time-consuming work associated with musical performance," Thompson observed. "They learn to apply the abstract notions of how audiences and performers relate in an exhilarating context."

For additional background on "Beatlemore Skidmania," see the following Skidmore News article. ~ By Peter MacDonald