"Moonlit evenings of magical music ... time spent with friends and family ... wonderful memories."

Northwest Indiana Symphony music director Kirk Muspratt conjures enticing images of the third annual South Shore Summer Music Festival. Muspratt leads the NISO tonight at Centennial Park in Munster and on Saturday at Willowcreek Middle School in Portage.

The free concert series is designed to sell the symphony as a symphony.

"Kids can play rock 'n' roll in their basements," Muspratt says, "but not everyone can play Dvorak." Note: The maestro and the musicians do enjoy playing a rock 'n' roll number or two at pops shows.

The first half of each weekend show takes audiences on a journey through easy classics from different lands. Most have an outdoor feel, such as Dvorak's "Carnival Overture," "Wedding March" from Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and "Jota" from Manuel de Falla's "The Three-Cornered Hat."

The second part traverses memorable episodes from U. S. history, spanning the Civil War, the Old West ("Showboat"), World War II, the Civil Rights era and more. President John F. Kennedy's White House years are represented by John Williams' theme from "JFK."

Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever" and fireworks cap off each event.

Bass Samuel Thompson, sophomore vocal performance major at De Paul University, will join the orchestra in selections from Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado," "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "Ol' Man River."

"It's a great opportunity for me to do some of the best arias in the bass repertoire," Thompson says.

This past spring he sang at De Paul's production of "The Mikado." Muspratt conducted. Thompson describes the maestro as "hilarious, a refreshing personality, unique."

The festival is sponsored by NIPSCO, Strack & Van Til and Geminus Prevention Services.

Youth competition performers this weekend: Munster -- Soren Bjornstad, violin, ninth grade, Valparaiso High School; Portage -- Rachel Albright, piano, fourth grader, Kolling Elementary School, St. John.