14 FOCUS - MAY 2018 Cathy Pavlik and her musical friends take the spotlight on May 5 Humble Divas “It’s cool for students to see their teachers in the role of performers,” com- mented Cathy Pavlik. She’s one of the five HumbleDivas,allsemi- professional musicians and music educators, who are combining their talents to put on a spectacular concert on Saturday May 5. “Performances have to be pur- poseful,” Cathy noted. This celebra- tion of music is a fundraiser for a new sound system at her church, Port Perry United. The audience can look forward to an evening of vari- ety in musical styles, instruments and genres. When asked what inspired the name Humble Divas, Cathy explained, “Just because people choose to be edu- cators doesn’t mean that they don’t have what it takes to perform, and stand up and take the spotlight, and be divas in their own right! We come to the stage with humility, and bring our own perfor- mances together to create a better whole.” The acoustics at the local church are “absolutely beautiful…like a con- cert hall,” she said. The very talented Deb Thompson (who was Cathy’s music teacher at R.H. Cornish) will accompany some of the performers on the grand piano. Cathy, who grew up in Port Perry, describes the music pro- grams at R. H. Cornish and Port Perry High School as “awesome.” On May 5, she will sing everything from German and French classics to George Gershwin’s “Summertime,” which promises to be a mu- sic treat. Cathy has been a lo- cal music educator since 2000. At the present time, she is work- ing on her PhD in music, teaching private voice lessons and tutoring. One of Laura Riggs’ popular num- bers will be “Danny Boy.” Laura is a well - known Toronto based singer, pianist, teacher and composer. A music teacher at McCaskill Mills in Cannington, and the conductor/director of the North Durham Concert Band, flut- ist Sarah Howie will delight the audience. Scarborough based music teacher and per- former Kim Pritchard, who has a master’s degree from U of T, “is an absolute virtuoso on the accordion,” Cathy says. The grand finale of the concert will be three group performances. Following the entertainment, there will be a social gathering, and refresh- ments will be served. The Church only seats 250 people, so advance tickets are being sold, as well as being available at the door. Tickets are $20. per person, and the show gets underway at 7:30 p.m. “I hope this will be the first in a series to allow me to collaborate with other amazing mu- sical divas,” Cathy said. The timing of this concert is perfect, she added, because it proceeds Music Monday. For more information, Cathy welcomes calls at 905-985-9274. By Lynn Campbell, Focus on Scugog CATHY PAVLIK LAURA RIGGS KIM PRITCHARD SARAH HOWIE