“We are very proud to present, Sonora Winds Pops! Please join us for an afternoon filled with familiar tunes including songs from Pirates of the Caribbean, Carousel, West Side Story, classical favorite Gustav Holst’s Jupiter, A Tribute to Elvis, Cool, Clear Water, American Patrol March and so much more,” says Clifton Weston, conductor. “We also will be featuring our friend, founder, and Green Valley Concert Band Music Director, Dr. John Snavely, on clarinet. It’s exciting for us to share this fun-filled program with the Green Valley Community!”

Sonora Winds was founded by Dr. Snavely in the mid-'90s to fill a need for a wind chamber ensemble in Tucson. It began as the Pima College Evening Wind Band. The group separated from Pima College four years later and became the Sonora Winds, with a mission to enrich the cultural life of Tucson. Today, Tucson concerts by the 50-piece Sonora Winds ensemble draws full houses and loyal, appreciative audiences and rarely performs elsewhere. This is the band's first-ever appearance at CPAC.

Music Director is Dr. Karin Nolan, Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Arizona, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music education. Prior to joining the faculty at the UA College of Fine Arts and the Fred Fox School of Music in 2011, Dr. Nolan taught K-12 general music, band, orchestra, and choir in Tucson-area schools.

Clifton Weston, a graduate of the Fred Fox School of Music at the University of Arizona, is the Director of Bands at Magee Middle School in the Tucson Unified School District and is on staff as instructional specialist with the U of A Pride of Arizona Band. He received his Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance and Music Education and his Masters of Music in Conducting from the University of Arizona. Karin and Clif share conducting duties in the Sonora Winds.

We had a surprise visit just a few weeks back from the original project manager who supervised the construction of the CPAC complex for Pima County. He had retired several years ago and was taking a nice afternoon drive to show his wife one of the buildings he helped bring into existence.

We had a delightful discussion about the history of the facility. As he told me stories about the architect, ground preparation, and construction we both kept returning to the subject of the natural beauty surrounding this site.

For years we have been collecting photos of flora, fauna and natural phenomena here at CPAC that so profoundly contribute to the ambience and artistic experience of the facility. Below is just a small sampling of these photos. Our founder, Gene Heckathorn, can be seen in his cowboy hat surveying the empty desert on which the CPAC theater would later be situated. I hope you enjoy!

Chris Ashcraft, Executive Director

All students at CPAC's popular summer camp work together to produce the Broadway Junior adaption of the award-winning musical, "Oliver", directed by Regina Ford and Claire Corlett. No experience is necessary. Performances will take place Friday, June 23 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, June 24 at 3 p.m. Registration is $220 per student. Preregistration and prepayment are required for all classes before they begin. Students can register in person at 1250 W. Continental Rd., by phone at (520) 399-1750, or by mail at P.O. Box 1301, Green Valley, AZ 85622. (Photos below: Regina working with campers on 2022's Seussical the Musical.)

Volunteers are the key ingredient that make CPAC successful in hosting our audiences at so many events. Our volunteers -- house managers, ushers, office workers and Foundation Board Members -- were thanked by Executive Director Chris Ashcraft (bottom center photo) with a special luncheon in April.

--Photos by Gary Friedman

“My hope is that when people view my images, they are drawn into the beauty and the mystery of the Nature that surrounds us,” says nature and wildlife photographer Dan Weisz. “People today are often disconnected with the Natural World. Spending a few moments with my images may draw people back into the wonder of the many living things around us.”

Don’t miss Dan's photography display at CPAC from May through September. It begins with a reception May 5 at 5:30 p.m.

Dan, a native Tucsonan, loves our region “for its rich diversity of people, culture and traditions.” Retiring from a career in public education allowed Dan to take up photography and to spend more time outdoors. He volunteers at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum’s Raptor Free Flight program as a narrator and bird handler.

His images have been featured in Sierra Club publications, Tucson Audubon Society web blog, Vermillion Flycatcher newsletter and others. His work is currently on permanent display at Agua Caliente Park’s Ranch House and the Paton Center for Hummingbirds in Patagonia. Visit his website HERE.

“Working in the office and as a House Manager gives me the opportunity to meet so many individuals from varied backgrounds, yet we are brought together by our common love of the arts,” says Nancy Smith.

Nancy came to Green Valley by way of Milwaukee, her home for 30 years. She said she was initially worried how she would “fill her need for the arts” after having been surrounded by an overload of exposure in her previous hometown. She knew Tucson would fill some of the void, but “to have CPAC in our backyard was amazing.” 

So next time you attend a CPAC event, thank Nancy whose job it is to make purchases as easy and efficient as possible. As she puts it, “this is the best retirement job ever!”

“I live at CPAC when I'm not at La Posada or the White Elephant or sleeping. My escape is always the next show or concert. There's nothing I enjoy more than sharing the stage with fellow actors and musicians who want to entertain and have such a wonderful venue to do so."

-- Regina Ford

Member, CPAC Foundation Board

Gifts may be made in memory of a loved one or in honor of someone you admire. CPAC gratefully accepts stocks, bonds, foundation and corporate charitable gifts. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to seeing you at many performances and programs this season. Just click the button below to securely donate online.

BEHIND THE SCENES is written, edited and produced by

craig altschul + associates (ca+a). It is published 12 times each year.

Next issue: June 1, 2023

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Community Performance and Art Center * Phone: (520) 399-1750