Joyce Burghardt, President of the Music Advocacy Group, presents its award to Orcas High School sophomore Kailley Grantham.
The Annual Benefit Concert for the Orcas School Music Program, “Music, Music, Music!” filled the K-12 gym on Sunday, March 1, as members of the Orcas Choral Society, the Community Band and Island Sinfonia joined with the Orcas Elementary 5th and 6th grade strings and choir, and Orcas students Winter Hyatt and Bailley Johnson from the Middle School, High School students Joe Boucher, Brittany Crowe and Kailley Grantham in the Community Band , and Mackie Blackburn, Adrien Erickson, Maddy Smith and Kailley Grantham in Island Sinfonia.
Grantham won an award in recognition of her participation in the Washington State Concert band, as the student musician selected from the her district.
Community Band leader Joe Babcock made an eloquent request for financial support of the school music program, quipping that “No bucks means no Bach.”
High School music teacher and Sinfonia director Lizz Hanks noted that many of her students are in the “Modern Music Masters” or Tri-M organization that performs service as well as music works to benefit the school district. Last year, the Orcas Tri-Ms were responsible for the cleanup and refurbishing of the garden outside the Band Room, next to the elementary school cafeteria.
Elementary school music teacher Pam Wright noted in her public remarks that she was much more comfortable singing than speaking, and thanked both MAG and the community for their support.
Wright also accompanied the 5th and 6th grade choir on her violin in their performance of “Why We Sing” with the Choral Society.
