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Kathy’s 2nd
Career!
Most everyone in Big Bear Valley has attended at least one or more of the Music in the Mountains Summer concerts since the astounding
performances began in Summer 2005. Community leaders Craig Smith,
Bonnie Tregaskis, Dennis Thomas teamed-up with Kathy Clapsaddle to establish musical
performances, that would entertain several hundred people in the outdoor forest
setting at the Discovery Center. Approximately 75 people attended the first
concert at the Big Bear Discovery Center Amphitheater. Thereafter, the focus of
the team was to attract professional entertainment that would be
environmentally sensitive to the beautiful San Bernardino Forests and build
awareness of the importance of stewarding our treasured public lands for us and
our children to enjoy.
The outdoor concert venue located on the
North Shore Drive in the community of Fawnskin, seemed the perfect setting when
approximately 75 people attended the first concert at the Big Bear Discovery
Center Amphitheater, and each event thereafter for the first season.
Proudly, they set a stake in the ground
as an outdoor concert venue, for Big Bear Valley’s Music in the Mountains!
Musical programs each season that would bring people together and build
awareness of the importance of stewarding our treasured public lands for us and
our children to appreciate, would be on the future menus.
Today, Music in the Mountains Co-producer Kathy Clapsaddle reflects
over the past years, the excellent concerts, the unlimited entertainers, the friendships
that came together and the support of audiences and supporters.
Clapsaddle inquires “What do you do when
you retire early after a 30-year career with a Fortune-10 company, had a great
time, traveled extensively, met wonderful people and honed your forte of event
management with lazer precision in the infancy of event marketing?”
When the Clapsaddle’s moved to Big Bear Valley,
Kathy joined the team at the Big Bear Discovery Center, after attending the
2003 Discovery Center Gala, as a guest. It was at that event Clapsaddle decided
to lend her skills as a volunteer to the 2004 and 2005 galas by selling sponsorships,
running the live-action and backing Craig Smith, gala chairperson. Clapsaddle
joined the team as staff in late 2005 and continued as gala chair for the
program by freshening up the event and raising dollars for the Discovery
Center, now one of the busiest Visitors Centers of the National Forest; welcoming over 190,000
visitors annually.
A little bit partial, she comments, Music In the Mountains became my baby,
to nurture and grow after a few short seasons; the baton had been passed.”
The purpose and magic we were creating with
the Music in the Mountains resonates with
the devoted and passionate people, whom we have always called our guests, by
coming together the last 10 years to help build one of Southern California's
most unique outdoor concert venues under the stars at 7,000'.
Music in the Mountains SEASON 11 opens Saturday
June 25th, with a new co-producer Dave Stone of Stone Entertainment
Group. Stone’s team shares the same passion in continuing the tradition of
bringing some of the best music outdoors to enjoy, celebrate and unite for our public lands while joining resources to
create more concerts, classic tribute rock AND new national bands, great food
and beverage, and more fundraising. The magic continues on June
25 at the Big Bear Discovery Center Amphitheater where multi-platinum
Taylor Dayne will make her debut appearance on the mountaintop to launch a new
decade of music in the mountains.
‘THANK YOU, to our loyal sponsors,
guests and newcomers!” Kathy.
By E T Russell, June 2016
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~~~
Composed
by Kathy Clapsaddle,
a tagline for the series to communicate the
purpose of the Summer Concert series, 'help heal the forest with music!
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