Wizards rock Edmond Library

Kimberly Hill
The Edmond Sun

EDMOND July 18, 2008 01:08 am

— Harry Potter fanatics rocked out Thursday evening at the Edmond Library’s “Wizard Rock” concert.
Wizard Rock is a new genre designated for music with Harry Potter themes.
Fans of all ages filled the library’s special programs room to capacity to hear The Remus Lupins, The Whomping Willows, The Mudbloods, Justin Finch Fletchley and the Sugar Quills and local band Ginny and the Heartbreakers.
The Harry Potter Alliance was at the concert to promote “Wizard Rock the Vote.” Samantha Mize, coordinator for Wizard Rock the Vote, said about 15 Wizard Rock bands are on tour this summer, playing at places like libraries, bookstores and coffee shops.
The tour is country-wide. Mize said this is the second year for some of the bands to stop in Edmond.
“Wizard Rock is all-encompassing,” she said.
Ginny and the Heartbreakers band members Stacy Kastner and Cassie Pierce went to the University of Central Oklahoma after graduating from Edmond Memorial High School.
The band, which sings songs from the perspective of character Ginny Weasley, formed more than two years ago after discovering Wizard Rock on MySpace.
Ginny and the Heartbreakers never wanted to perform live but changed their mind when the Remus Lupins invited them to play at last year’s concert for the Edmond Library, Kastner said.
Pierce said being a part of Wizard Rock has been a great and unique experience.
“The band members are all so excited about what they do, and the audience really responds to that,” said Emily Williams, teen services coordinator for the library.
Williams said hosting a rock concert in the library promotes reading in an innovative way. Young adult librarian Teresa Matthews said the library received calls about the event all week.
“We’re hoping to do a lot more upbeat programming like this,” Matthews said.
The concert was said to not only promote reading but music as well. Ami Tull, of Oklahoma City, said she and her three children have followed Wizard Rock together for a few years now.
“It promotes music, too,” Tull said. “My daughter writes songs all the time now. I think it promotes art in general.”

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