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About Oregon Coast today. (Lincoln City, OR) 2005-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 2020)
Sound strategies on the cover 3 Leg Torso, performing at the 2018 gala event BOB GIBSON AND JERI KNUDSON, THE PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO FunRaiser Music is Instrumental elevates the arts with 2020 FunRaiser By REBECCA STONE For the TODAY I n an era when music programs in schools have been severely eroded, one grassroots organization is implementing innovative ways to keep music education within reach of students from K through 12 Lincoln City might be popular for its expansive beaches, but it is also becoming synonymous with excellent musical off erings, which range from year-round intimate concerts hosted by the Lincoln City Cultural Center to the annual Siletz Bay Music Festival. But perhaps most integral of all to this community is the music that echoes up and down the halls of its schools — a sound now absent from many others due to budget cuts. Last summer marked the launch of Lincoln City’s Music is Instrumental (MII), a nonprofi t organization founded in November 2018 with the mission of ensuring that all children in the Lincoln City area have access to quality music education, performances and instruments. Swinging into action in June 2019, at the end of a fi ve-year Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) grant, which fueled the city’s Studio to School program, MII visionaries teamed with local educators to not only sustain this eff ort, but to expand it. Set for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21 and 22, the FunRaiser 2020 from Music is Instru- mental off ers guests the chance to enjoy great music on any budget. On Friday, guests will be treated to an opening performance by the Taft High School Jazz Band, followed by a show from vocalist Kate Morrison and bassist David Captein. The party starts at 7 pm at Salis- han Resort, with tickets $35 apiece. Saturday’s gala event will feature silent and live auctions alongside heavy hors d’oeuvres followed by a performance from 3 Leg Torso, playing an eclectic synthesis of chamber, Tango, klezmer, Latin, and Roma music. Saturday’s event starts at 5 pm at Salishan Resort, with tickets $95 apiece. Tickets at https://musicisintrumental.net Both nights $115. As a result, according to MII Director of Operations Christine Tell, 1,200 students now benefi t from music education and exposure to a broad swath of music genres. In fact, music education is now a requirement for elementary school kids at Oceanlake and Taft elementary schools, and a popular elective for older students at Taft High School (aka: Taft High 7-12). In addition, the OCF has awarded MII a grant to expand music education into Waldport Middle School under the direction of Principal Amy Skirvin and music teacher Tim Chase. Local support Because MII is a nonprofi t organization, 14 • oregoncoastTODAY.com • facebook.com/oregoncoasttoday • February 14, 2020 funding through donations, sponsorships and grants is imperative. But MII Board Director Mark Sanders relates that scores of generous donations come from patrons, members of the community and local businesses. “Many fondly recall the positive experiences they had with music in schools and want to make sure our students today have that life-changing opportunity,” he says. “We’ve even received a dedicated contribution for rainforest drums and another for ukuleles for an entire class of students in grades K-2.” Sanders also notes that this year a valuable partnership with the owners, management and staff of Salishan was forged. Th e upshot was that MII became a designated benefi ciary of the Salishan 2019 summer concert series.” Additionally, a grant from Explore Lincoln City supports an annual “FunRaiser,” slated for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21 to 22, at Salishan Resort (see sidebar). Th e weekend benefi t event, featuring music performances, dining, dancing and auctions, draws people from the coast as well as Portland and surrounding areas. See Page A15