Published February 7, 2025

The Pioneer Center’s Free Family Series Takes the Mainstage

by Dennyse Sewell

 

This year, Pioneer Center Youth Programs celebrates its 58^th season serving the youth in our region. The outreach program was founded in 1967 as Young Audiences of Northern Nevada, an independent nonprofit that was designed to bring live music performances to children via elementary school assemblies. In 1998, Young Audiences of Northern Nevada merged with the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, allowing this community service to continue under the new title Pioneer Center Youth Programs, or PCYP for short. Since then, PCYP has grown to serve 20,000-30,000 children and families each year in venues spread across nine northern Nevada counties. Performances are held in elementary schools, public libraries, and other community centers, and all PCYP performances are always presented free to the public. The program has served well over one million Nevada children throughout its history. 

PCYP has a long track record of successful community engagement and educational enrichment as an outreach model, but it has historically operated independently of the programming that takes place inside the auditorium of the Pioneer Center in downtown Reno. As both the operator of this robust outreach division and the owner of our historic theater, we have recently seized upon the opportunity to incorporate PCYP programming into the Pioneer Center’s mainstage event calendar. While looking for ways to broaden the impact of PCYP for the community, we saw an opportunity to provide a new series that encourages families to bring their youngest children inside “the Golden Turtle,” perhaps for the first time. Studies show that exposure to live arts performances in early childhood has a profound impact on how that child will navigate participation in their own education and community as they grow up. The more often that young children are given the opportunity to experience live performances in a theater setting, the more practice they get at learning to be an audience member and appreciating arts experiences throughout their lives. In 2023, we launched the Free Family Series as an extension of PCYP with the goal of providing free, family-friendly programming in our downtown venue.

 

PCYP has been bringing renowned touring artists to northern Nevada for decades to participate in outreach performances, but those touring artists never had the opportunity to perform on our historic stage inside the Pioneer Center. The Free Family Series now presents these acclaimed touring artists in our downtown venue in addition to the multiple outreach performances they already engage in as a part of their residency with us. Programs presented through the Free Family Series are approximately 60 minutes in length and perfect for patrons of all ages, but especially our youngest patrons. This year, the Free Family Series will present the following artists:

House of Waters, Thursday March 6 at 5:30pm

Nominated for “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album” at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards, House of Waters is at the forefront of jazz innovation. With roots in Irish folk music, Max ZT has studied in Senegal and India. Called “the Jimi Hendrix of the Hammered Dulcimer” (NPR), his unorthodox playing style has been a pioneering force in revolutionizing dulcimer techniques. Moto Fukushima is a recognized master of the six-string bass with a background in jazz improvisation, Western classical music, and the music of South America. House of Waters has scored an Emmy-winning documentary (ESPN), re-scored three 100+ year old French Dadaist-Era silent films in partnership with GroundUP Music and Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, and shared the stage with Pandit Ravi Shankar, Victor Wooten, Tinariwen, Snarky Puppy, Karsh Kale, and more. Based in New York City, they have toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, and India. House of Waters creates an engaging program that incorporates lessons on music history, theory, and geography into their performance while inspiring young patrons to try picking up an instrument themselves one day.

 

Cascada de Flores, Saturday, April 5at 4:00pm

Based in San Francisco, Cascada de Flores tells original, bilingual stories using song, a variety of traditional musical instruments, dance, theater, and the sweet characters of traditional Mexican music. Arwen Lawrence and Jorge Liceaga have made music together and engaged with audiences of all ages for 25 years. As both educators and artists, they enjoy passing on what they love about the music that inspires them, with its diversity of rhythms, roots, and instrumentation. Joined by multi-instrumentalist and luthier Jorge Mijangos, Cascada de Flores presents “Aquí-les va un cuento: The Treasure of Aquiles,” a story of creativity about a boy who leaves his town barren of dance, music, and song to set out on an adventure. He learns to sing from a bee, rhythm from a horse, and to dance from a flea. With help from the characters he meets, Aquiles discovers a treasure hidden in his culture and imagination. This program features original music, traditional instruments, and percussive dance.

 

F-Rock Crew, Saturday, May 3 at 4:00pm

After an exciting debut to a packed house last season, F-Rock Crew returns to the Pioneer Center! Founded over 20 years ago in the Central District of Seattle by Marcus “Fidget” Sharpe, Tim “Chipz” Uomoto, and Remi “Remz” Street, F-Rock Crew has achieved massive success around the world, working with artists and companies such as The Black-Eyed Peas, Missy Elliot, Busta Rhymes, Usher, 2Chainz, New Edition, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Verizon, Red Bull, Microsoft, Amazon, and Nike. Staying rooted in the community has been F-Rock Crew’s ultimate secret to longevity and success. F-Rock Crew’s program shares the history of Hip-Hop culture and the origins of each Hip-Hop dance style. Audiences will learn about Break-dancing, Popping, and Locking from some of the best dancers in the world with a focus on the pioneers who invented each move and inspired generations of dancers. This break-dancing based performance includes a positive message for kids, focusing on respect, anti-bullying, arts and culture, and American history.

Reservations are not required to attend the Free Family Series performances, which are held in our 1,500-seat mainstage auditorium. Our lobbies and concessions will open 60 minutes prior to each performance, and we recommend patrons arrive early to choose their seats. Programs presented through the Free Family Series are interactive, educational, joyful, and engaging.  Audience members are encouraged to participate in the performances from the comfort of their own seat. There is no need to worry whether or not the young children in your life will be able to sit still and remain quiet for the duration of the performance – these presentations are intended to give young children their first experience with top-notch live programming, and the Pioneer Center’s auditorium will be a safe and encouraging space for youngsters to express themselves during these exciting experiences.

PCYP and the Free Family Series would not be possible without the support of our generous grant funders. The Pioneer Center would like to say thank you to Nevada Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, City of Reno Arts & Culture Commission, Susanne & Gloria Young Foundation, Nell J. Redfield Foundation, Arthur & Mae Orvis Foundation, Thelma B. & Thomas P. Hart Foundation, and Creative West (formerly WESTAF) for their stalwart support this season.

We hope to see you and the young people in your life at the Pioneer Center this spring.  For more about the Free Family Series, and all of the other exciting performances coming to the Pioneer Center, be sure to visit our official website: www.pioneercenter.com.

Dennyse Sewell is the CEO of the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts in Reno, Nevada

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