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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 2019)
10 Wednesday, September 18, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Commentary... Learning about bee conservation at Museum Song Academy is an experience like no other By Chloe Gold Correspondent The Americana Song Academy (ASA) is a three- day music camp where musi- cians come together to learn from each other, regardless of skill level. ASA takes place at Camp Caldera, near Sisters, the week before the Sisters Folk Festival, which allows performers like Martyn Joseph and Ellis to come and teach classes at the camp. I9ve been playing guitar and writing my own music in the Americana Project at Sisters High School for about three years, but I9ve been playing music for about eight years. This year, I was fortu- nate enough to attend ASA with the help of the Family Access Network. The ASA is an experi- ence like no other in terms of how full I felt, creatively and emotionally. Prior to attend- ing song camp, I9d gone all summer without writing an original song. To put this into perspective, my aver- age turnaround for writing an original piece is about two weeks, as is the curriculum for the Americana Project class at Sisters High School. Approximately half a day into ASA I was sitting in Keith Greeninger9s class when inspiration finally struck, HOLLAND: Executive director looks to make program 8exceptional9 Continued from page 1 A new strategic plan is needed for 2020-22, based on data from a needs assess- ment completed this past May. Holland said that most items in the 2017-19 plan have been accomplished and now the board and staff can look at the next steps to take. She would like to see the dis- trict conduct an annual needs assessment. <I am excited to work with the school district to address COFFEEHOUSE This Week it Begins! Fika After-Hours Events Game Night • Study Hall Fika Night Open until 8 p.m. Wednesday & Friday! 541-588-0311 201 E. Sun Ranch Dr., Mon-Sat 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and I wrote a song 4 lyrics, chords, and all 4 in about 20 minutes. Inspiration hit me so hard that I physically got up and left the class to complete the song, for fear of losing it before it could begin. ASA is a different experi- ence for each musician. For Sierra Henneous, a high-school-aged musician, ASA is about <The different music and backgrounds each person brings,= she said. This year was Henneous9 second year attending ASA, but she hopes to continue to return each year because, <Each day is new and dif- ferent [t]here. You9re differ- ent when you come back to reality.= For Brent Alan, one of the musicians hired to be a part of the house band at Caldera during ASA, his favorite part is <watching people turn their insecurities into confidence.= Alan has attended song camp every year since it started in 2002. He continues to return because for him, <It9s like reconnecting with my tribe,= he said. For Martyn Joseph, a guitar player and singer-songwriter from Wales, and instructor at ASA, ASA allows him to help others <Express themselves and make sense of the world while writing songs,= he said. Joseph originally played at the Sisters Folk Festival in 2010, as well as 2011. He con- tinues to come back because he just loves Oregon. <We9re here doing this wonderful communal stuff in a poetic landscape,= he said. For Ellis, a musician from Minnesota, ASA is about slowing down and meeting new people, as well as see- ing old friends. Ellis feels as if there9s <something healing here. It9s like a retreat space where the creative cup gets full.= Experienced or inexperi- enced, young or old(er), the Americana Song Academy is an enriching experience for all musicians, regardless of skill level. The ASA has a the needs of our youth,= Holland said. A 2002 graduate of Central Washington University in Recreation Management, Holland is a native of Florida. Her dad being in the Navy, they lived in California before going to the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Washington state. Holland and her 11-year old son, Cal, were fortunate to find a house in the Village at Cold Springs, close to work and school. Cal is in the sixth grade at Sisters Middle School and says his favorite class is Spanish. He enjoys baseball, video games, and spending time with his dog, Griffin, a 4-year-old German shepherd/ golden retriever mix. <I love Sisters,= Holland exclaimed. <Everyone is so welcoming and kind. Our neighbors have been so welcoming.= She loves living in a small town where she can walk to coffee on Sunday morning. She looks forward to expe- riencing more of the com- munity, the county, and the wilderness as she gets out and about. <I feel incredibly blessed to be part of SPRD. I appre- ciate everyone9s welcoming from the very first day on the job. The staff has been won- derful,= she concluded. PHOTO PROVIDED Chloe Gold, right, experienced the Americana Song Academy at Caldera in the runup to Sisters Folk Festival. Projects Small Or Large Start With Our Dream Team of Building Pros GOT QUESTIONS? Lumber • Paint Hardware • Tools • Siding • Doors Windows • Fencing • Decking Plumbing & Electrical Supplies FREE Local Delivery Serving Sisters Since 1976 Hours: M-F 8-5, Sat. 8-4:30, Closed Sundays 440 N. Pine St. • 541-549-8141 • www.hoyts.net closing ceremony it does each year, and the calm that I9d felt throughout the week intensi- fied as I stood in the circle of musicians and listened to Ron Artis II play the final song of camp. As the song came to a close, we all thanked and complimented each other, with genuine compliments. There was an energy about the circle that was difficult to part from, because it felt warm and embracing. As I left ASA that morn- ing to return to school, I did feel different as I came back to reality, just like Henneous had said. I felt reset as a musi- cian, and as a human being. As a gardener, there9s a lot you can do to protect native bee species. Learn more at the High Desert Museum presenta- tion Bee Conservation: Challenges and Opportunities on Wednesday, September 25. Participants will hear from Dr. Jim Cane of the USDA Bee Lab in Logan, Utah. He9ll dive into floral use, pollination biology and more, making local garden- ers better-informed advo- cates for bee conservation on wildlands. It just might help you become a better gar- dener, too. Bee Conservation: Challenges And Opportunities runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Admission is $7; Museum members receive a 20-percent discount. RSVP/register at https:// highdesertmuseum.org/ events/bee-conservation. For more information call 541-382-4754. The High Desert Museum is located at 59800 S. Highway 97, Bend. Camp Sherman Open 7 days a week, 12-9 p.m. 541-595-6420 SISTERS LANDSCAPE CO. ALL PHASE LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE NOW TO HAVE YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM WINTERIZED & BLOWN OUT Call us for any and all of your landscaping needs Free consultation & estimates Servicing Sisters & Black Butte Ranch since 1995 tomers s u c w e N lcome! we for 2020! Plan now 541-549-3001 sisterslandscape@gmail.com Lic. & Bonded LCB #6708