Concert celebrates gift of piano

Pianist Michael Allen Harrison and singer Julianne R. Johnson drew standing ovations from the audience in a performance at Sisters High School. photo by Ravi Tej Khalsa Sisters High School's new baby grand piano was baptized in fine style on Saturday, May 15.

An enthusiastic and appreciative audience greeted Michael Allen Harrison and Julianne R. Johnson, along with three performers from Sisters High School to celebrate the gift of the baby grand piano from the Snowman Foundation of Portland.

Harrison, producer, composer, and concert pianist, heads the Snowman Foundation. He has performed live at the United Nations, for former President Bill Clinton and for the Dalai Lama. Johnson is a recording artist, actress and director who records with Harrison and works with him in the foundation.

Whitney Kelleher, Adrienne Bryan, and Kate Canja, Sisters High School students, opened the program with selections on the harp and the piano.

Harrison opened with "Will You Take Me There," a piece he wrote three or four years ago and has incorporated into a concerto he recently completed.

He will perform his concerto in the Portland Rose Garden in August with the Portland Symphony.

Julianne R. Johnson sang "Happy Birthday" to Pinky Pagano. photo by Ravi Tej Khalsa

Johnson joined Harrison for a number, then asked the audience to join in singing "Happy Birthday" to Pinky Pagano, "as a tribute to school secretaries."

The remainder of the program showed the diverse talents of Harrison and Johnson with quiet love songs mixed with roof-raising gospels and some in between. Mid-way in their performance, Kerani Mitchell and Brad Tisdel each joined Johnson and Harrison in performing a new number.

Brad Tisdel, founder and director of The Americana Project credited Eric King, Kerani Mitchell, and Lauryn Shultz with creating and producing the program.

All are students in Cycle 3 of the Americana Project, where students add event production to the Americana curriculum.

He also singled out Ryan Blake and Nick Newport for operating the sound and light systems.

In honoring the Americana Project, Harrison praised Tisdel for "The intention behind his words and his actions. What a great gift he is to you in this community. We are very proud to be part of what he's helping with down here."