Letter to Editor | Thank You to Orcas Community for Strong Support of School Music

– from Miriam Ziegler, President, Music Advocacy Group –

The Orcas community enjoyed a real musical treat on Sunday, March 3 — the 22nd Annual Music Advocacy Group (MAG) Benefit Concert for the OISD music program.

MAG is so fortunate that our island’s largest musical groups and many experienced volunteers have been willing to lend their time and energy to planning, rehearsing and performing for this annual concert every year since the first benefit concert in 1998. The amount of thought and time given in the name of producing this event to benefit school music is deeply appreciated by the many Orcas Islanders for whom this concert is a musical highlight.

For MAG, this annual concert is both a joyous celebration of school music and a gift to the community, in gratitude for your generous support for school music. It is also the principal fund-raising event that enables MAG to provide over half of OISD’s School Music budget. Your generosity helps to fund a wide range of necessities like instruments, equipment, music scores, fees and travel for off-island workshops and competitions, and professional development for our two music teachers. Last year, MAG’s contributions to the school totaled over $19,000.

MAG took the opportunity at this gathering of the Orcas music community to recognize recently retired founding MAG Board member and former president Catherine Pederson for her dedication to school music advocacy. A former MAG Board member, Victoria Parker, gave an eloquent tribute to Catherine and presented her with a scroll recognizing her as Founding Member Emeritus.

At the lovely reception following the concert, concert-goers and performers visited with each other and enjoyed a display of art by elementary students, set up by Art for Orcas Kids (A-OK).

March is Music in Our Schools Month^TM, and on March 13 your support enabled the 3rd through 5th grades classes to visit the Seattle Symphony and play their recorders at Benaroya Hall.

The funds raised so far surrounding the concert have provided further evidence of the Orcas community’s amazing generosity, as well as your recognition of the importance of music in our children’s lives and educational development. There is still time to contribute, either by mailing a check to ‘MAG’ at PO Box 1171, Eastsound, WA 98245, or by donating online through our website: OIMAG.org

To all of you who understand that music enhances student learning in all areas and brings enrichment for a lifetime, and who are so generous in your support for the Orcas School music programs, please accept our heartfelt thanks! School music really does matter!