LEAF Nights at Lakewood Public Library
Local, talented, family-friendly bands and solo acts play each week during the LEAF produce distribution on Wednesday evenings in the summer and early fall. (See Eat Healthy for an explanation of LEAF, Lakewood’s community supported agriculture project.) Enjoy free outdoor music, check out the artist of the week and pick up some fresh veggies while you’re there! For more information visit www.leafcommunity.org

Phoenix Coffee House
Young bands and seasoned pros bring acoustic grooves to this small coffee house packed with big charm. Audiences often line up out the door as Folk, Americana, Indie Rock, Jazz or Funk trickles pleasantly out onto Detroit Avenue. Fresh roasted coffee, specialty coffee drinks, an astounding tea selection, bottled beer and yummy pastries are all available at this Fair Trade Certified local hot spot. Phoenix is at 15108 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. Call 216/226-4401 or visit www.phoenixcoffee.com

Bela Dubby Coffee House
Bela Dubby is an art/coffee house on Madison Avenue in Lakewood, serving Phoenix brand fair-trade roasted coffee and a great selection of micro-brewed beer. The scrumptious Brooklyn Beer is always on tap, and there’s a different artist featured every month, in addition to live original music every week. Bela Dubby offers free WiFi, is kid-friendly and non-smoking. Parents, bring the kids, have an order delivered from a local pizzeria, and drink a beer (or two) while the kids burn off their extra energy dancing to the funky music. Bela Duby is at 13321 Madison Avenue (just west of 117th) in Lakewood. Call 216/221-4479 for more information or go to www.myspace.com/beladubby

Lakewood Park Sunday Concerts
The Lakewood Park Bandshell offers free summer concerts on Sunday evenings at 7 p.m. Lawn and bench seating are available and there’s always room. Lakewood Park is at 14532 Lake Avenue, at the north end of Belle. See the Lakewood City News and Events page for a list of dates and further information: www.ci.lakewood.oh.us/cityevents.html

Lakewood Public Library
The Friends of Lakewood Public Library generously fund a variety of concerts and recitals on Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. in the Auditorium on the lower level of the Main Library. Occasionally the library offers programs on Saturday evenings as well. All events are free to the public. The main branch of the library is at 15425 Detroit Avenue. Call 216/226-8275 or visit www.lkwdpl.org/friends/ for information.

Lakewood Civic Auditorium
Located within Lakewood High School, the Civic Auditorium hosts both national tours and local entertainment throughout the year. Lyle Lovett and Pat Metheny have played there, and every year there are a number of performances by Lakewood High School and community recreation groups. You really haven’t lived until you’ve seen 5-year-olds doing ballet routines on the big stage. Check the website at www.lkwdpl.org/schools/civicaud/ for a list of some of the events being held at the Civic, 14100 Franklin Boulevard.

Rocky River Sunset Concert Series
The Rocky River Recreation Department offers a Summer Concert Series at Rocky River Park on Sunday nights at 7 p.m. from June through August. The concerts are family-friendly, free and open to the public. Parking is permitted on residential streets adjacent to the park from 6-9 p.m. on concert days. Rocky River Park is located at 20250 Beachcliff Blvd. For more information, visit www.rrcity.com/rec/

Wade Oval Wednesdays at University Circle
Take advantage of one of Cleveland’s most enchanted settings every Wednesday evening from June to August during Wade Oval Wednesdays. Grab dinner and a drink from a food vendor or pack a picnic for the family to enjoy on the lawn while listening to sweet summer tunes at Wade Oval’s free outdoor public concerts, held from 6-9 p.m. at the Kulas Community Stage. Institutions surrounding Wade Oval, such as the Natural History Museum, Cleveland Art Museum and the Botanical Gardens, are open late on concert nights and offer special programs of their own. Wade Oval is located at the corner of Wade Oval Drive and East Boulevard, Cleveland. Call 216/791-3900 or visit www.universitycircle.org for more info.

Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall
Looking for a way to get kids excited about classical music? The Cleveland Orchestra offers Family Concerts, ideal for children 7 and up. These narrated, 60-minute concerts performed by the Cleveland Orchestra in Severance Hall are structured around a theme and may feature young musicians, dancers or actors as guest artists. Family Concerts offer an opportunity to enrich children’s lives through exposure to the musical arts, and share the excitement of live music performed by one of the world’s top orchestras. Family Concerts are preceded by free, theme-related activities, including Instrument Discovery, throughout the hall. Visit www.clevelandorch.com/html/Education/ChildrenAndFamilies.asp to view programs.

For children ages 3-6, check out Musical Rainbows. Which instrument is bigger – violin or viola? How many strings are on a harp? What’s a bassoon? Children will discover the answers to these musical questions and more during 30-minute Musical Rainbow concerts – a fun, interactive way for our youngest listeners to learn about the instruments of the orchestra. Musical Rainbow concerts are performed by Cleveland Orchestra musicians and hosted by local actress and singer Maryann Nagel. Children have the chance to sing, clap, and move to the music as they learn. Musical Rainbows are performed in the 400-seat Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Hall. Visit www.clevelandorch.com/html/Performance/viewByEventType.asp?etype=9 to view programs.

Lakewood High School Dance Group
Open to all Lakewood High School students with an interest in dance, the Dance Group produces a show during February or March each year featuring jazz, ballet, and modern dance styles. Members choreograph, design the costumes and produce the dance routines for the show. Tryouts are held late September, and students practice from November through February. The 2009 Dance Show, which is open to the public, will be held February 13 and 14 at the Lakewood Civic Auditorium, 14100 Franklin Boulevard. This is a great opportunity to expose your young children to the magic of dance at a fun, local, inexpensive show.

Lakewood Public Library
If you would like to turn your child on to music and books at the same time, Lakewood Library offers Shake, Rattle and Roll for you and your preschooler. This musical story time rocks at both the Main Library and the Madison Branch. Registration is required; call 216/226-8275, ext. 140 for registration information and times, or register online at www.lkwdpl.org/youth/

Lakewood Recreation Department
One thing that sets Lakewood apart from surrounding communities is the diverse, affordable programming offered through our recreation department. Among the many youth programs offered each session are quite a few music-related activities, such as ballet, jazz and tap dance; Kindermusik; piano; and Tumble Bugs/Tiny Tuners. Call 216/529-4081 or check their website at www.lakewoodrecreation.com for the current catalog.

School of Rock
If piano lessons are not your thing and marching band makes you cringe, don’t despair. The Paul Green School of Rock lets your child learn to become a rock musician through actual performances at local venues. According to their brochure, “From the moment a student joins one of our schools they are PLAYING music; loud, on professional equipment with other musicians. Before long, our students are playing live rock concerts.” Included with the price of tuition are weekly, 45 minute private lessons in the instrument of the student's choice. Additionally, there are three hour, supervised rehearsals held weekly to prepare students for their culminating show. Each show centers on a theme, and students spend time delving into the catalogs of certain artists, styles and periods of rock music. Past shows have featured performances in Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, AC/DC, best of the 80s, Punk Rock, Devo, Frank Zappa, and Queen. The school also holds rock classes, open jams, and seminars in Songwriting, Music Business 101, Tightening Up the Rhythm Section, What Really Goes Into a Tour, How to Get Gigs and Promote Your Band, and more. The School of Rock is located at 20148 Detroit Road in Rocky River. For information, call 440/333-ROCK(7625) or visit www.schoolofrock.com/clevelandwest/main_school.php

Beck Center For the Arts
One of the area’s premier community arts centers located right in Lakewood, the Beck Center offers a dance program that stresses placement and theory based on traditional technique and a music program which provides instruction in voice and piano, as well as all band and orchestral instruments. Classes are offered for youth ages 1-18 in areas such as Children’s Choirs, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Guitar, Harp Ensemble, Percussion “Rhythm Fun,” Piano, Suzuki Violin, Voice, Jazz Theory & Performance, and Music Theory. Private instruction is also available in all band and orchestral instruments. Dance instruction includes classes such as Ballet, Hip Hop, Modern Jazz, Tap, and Pilates.
For children 12 months to 6 years, Hear & Touch the Music is a vibrant experience in making music. Located in the Music-Armory Building behind the Beck Center, each program features a demonstration and narration about the instrument of the day, meeting and hearing a professional musician, and hands-on experience with that instrument or a “Hear & Touch” experience with a special topic spotlight. In addition, there is singing, dancing, instrument playing, and an activity sheet for each participant to take home. Registration is required. Children 11 months and under may attend with older siblings at no cost but must register; group rates are available for groups of 10 or more; adults are free but must register. One adult must attend for every five children.
Visit http://beckcenter.org/class/ or call 216/521-2540 for more information.

Cleveland Institute of Music
The Cleveland Institute of Music offers many types of concerts at the main building in University Circle; most are free to the public. They also offer family-friendly events for children throughout the year. Children and adults of all ages and abilities can take lessons as well. Cleveland Institute of Music is located at 11021 East Boulevard in Cleveland. Call 216/791-5000 or visit www.cim.edu for more information.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Best for pre-teens and teens, even non-rock 'n' roll fans will love this museum. It combines history, documentaries, and costumes, and even has a section dedicated to the icons of rap music. Devotees of Guitar Hero will love the tributes in the lobby downstairs and the life-size art renditions upstairs. For more information, call 216/515-1228 or visit www.rockhall.com

Lakewood Public Library Collection Recommendations
Here are suggestions from our music collection, both old and new, that kids of all ages are bound to enjoy. We tried to compile a list that reflects a variety of musical tastes, avoiding the typical artists and digging for those lesser-known gems. All cds are available at the Lakewood Public Library unless otherwise noted.

Recommendations coming soon!