Frank Ballesteros’ production of the play Humbug! will have two more performances tonight, Saturday Dec. 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 24 at 1:00 p.m. at the Antioch Historical Society, 1500 W. Fourth Street.

Tickets are $10 for general admission, $8 for students and senior citizens, and $6 for children (ages 7-12 years old). There are no advance ticket sales.

Actor Zack Gold is the main character in the movie Psycho Brother-In-Law filmed in Antioch last summer.

Some of the scenes were filmed at Antioch High School with staff member Trine Gallegos (far right) included. Herald file photo

By Allen Payton

According to Supervising Producer Kris Wynn, the movie filmed in Antioch last summer, will air on the Lifetime Movie Network (LMN) next Thursday, December 28. It’s entitled Psycho Brother-In-Law and includes Antioch and East County residents as extras. (See related articles, here and here.)

It’s the second movie to be filmed in Antioch in as many years.

According to the Lifetime website, the movie stars Brittany Falardeau, Zack Gold, Mike Duff, Megan Ashley Brown and Samantha Bowling.

The description reads, “Kate is so thankful to have her brother-in-law David back in her family’s life as he’s been a blessing around the house while her husband spends long days at the office. But when his behavior starts getting out of line, Kate realizes that David wants to be the new head of the family, and will do anything to make that happen.”

So grab, the remote and popcorn, order some pizza and watch your local friends or family members on the small screen to see who made it past the cutting room floor!

Somersville Towne Center, East County’s only enclosed mall, will be featuring free performances of Christmas music by local groups, including two premier high school singing ensembles this weekend and next week. 

The Deer Valley Divine Voices and Show Choir will be performing today, Saturday, December 16, 2017 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

On Sunday, Dec. 17 Mariachi San Miguel will offer two performances from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The Antioch High Music Masters will perform on Monday, December 18 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and again on Friday, Dec. 22 also from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 pm.

Finally, on Saturday, Dec. 23 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. enjoy a performance by the Antioch Strolling Strings.

Somersville Towne Center is located at 2550 Somersville Road in Antioch. For more information about these performances and other events and activities at the mall, visit https://www.somersvilletownecenter.com/events/.

Deer Valley High School recently held its Jazz Ensemble during which members of their instrumental music groups performed. Photo by AUSD – See more photos of the various school concerts on the district’s Facebook page.

Dear Editor:

This holiday season brings the usual cheer, but adds a personal festive exclamation point with the local bounty of school concerts.  I was personally privileged to attend the Black Diamond Middle, Antioch and Deer Valley High Schools and Dozier Libbey Medical School combined concert and the Park Middle Schools performance. We had heard about the overflowing 1,300 students at elementary schools taking band but now we tasted the fruit of that pipeline.

We’re in our third year with music alive and well in the AUSD and are reaping benefits in more ways than one.  As might be expected, motivation took a hit when the heart and sound that can soften the daily grind was taken from the schools to save dollars and allow doubling down on core subjects. Granted, reading and math remain fundamental, but face it, for many kids, music or sports are the sole connection and engagement keeping them from truancy.

Aside, though, from increased attendance and GPA, we’ve noticed that, in and of itself, music is aiding academics as a sort of super brain food, bringing a plethora of values.  No surprise to us music lovers as poll any group of physicians or engineers and you will find that an amazing number of these hi-achievers had studied music in their formative years.

You see, in one sense music is pure math. Understanding beat, rhythm and scales helps children learn how to divide, create fractions and recognize patterns.  It sharpens special, temporal skills associated with math comprehension.   Essentially, then, music is a sort of hard wiring for all kinds of basic and advanced math.

Studying music also instills short and long-term memory aides by using mnemonic devices.  It also physically develops the left side of the brain, the part involved in language acquisition.

Music employs multiple skill sets, exercising eyes and ears and both larger and smaller muscle sets. Certain instruments, like percussion, develop timing, coordination, motor skills and ambidexterity. Call it sports in a chair.

Good news moms and dad; a 2007 study by Christopher Johnson at the University of Texas showed students in elementary schools having superior musical programs scored 22% higher on standardized English tests.

So-called soft skills, cited by employers as invaluable workplace skills, also mature. Musical student attendance is cumulatively higher and discipline rates less. Poise under pressure and accepting and giving constructive criticism also benefit. The habits of discipline, perseverance and the ability to demonstrate deferred gratification also develop.

Musical students learn teamwork and collaboration in group performance, and how to patiently wait their turn and respectfully listen to others.  They also broaden horizons as they are introduced to various genres, styles and cultures.

We might ask, how, then, does our child pick a chosen instrument?  Treat it like a petting zoo and let your child explore for the right sound, feel and temperamental fit. Make sure the challenge is appropriate, the price affordable, and that you, the parent, can live for endless hours without going crazy over home practice of that instrument. Drums, after all, may not fit us all.

Thankfully, with School Board support, and LCAP funding, we have welcomed back the spiritual soundtrack of our lives.  The enrichment surely can’t hurt our kids and our collective humanity. It’s an opportunity to celebrate as we affirm Frederick Nietzsche’s charge that “without music, life would be a mistake.”

Walter Ruehlig, Trustee, Antioch School Board