Thanks to all who attended the Sept. 12 School Music Matters concert at Orcas Island Community Church. It was a very impressive performance by 13 Orcas Island student musicians!

The concert helped launch the School Music Matters Fund, recently created by the nonprofit Music Advocacy Group to help pay our music teacher salaries and keep the current middle and high school music programs going for this school year. These programs are taught by Pamela Wright (strings) and Martin Lund (band).

If we raise enough money, the current middle and high school programs can keep going, just as they are. If we don’t, these programs – which have been so successful – would have to change in some significant way. We’re not trying to add something new. We’re just trying to maintain what we have now, the current programs.

The school board and administration both believe in these programs, but due to a reduced budget this year, they could only allocate funding for separate middle and high school programs through the end of September – just a few school days from now!

That’s why Marilyn Anderson – a MAG member and passionate advocate of music – initiated the School Music Matters Fund, to raise money to keep these programs going.

The Music Advocacy Group endorses this effort. The Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival endorses this effort. And on Sept. 12, the students themselves showed their support by enthusiastically contributing their talents to play a beautiful, hour-long program.

Martin Lund has said, “Having separate middle and high school programs, as we do now, is so important. The one-room schoolhouse approach just doesn’t work well for music students at widely different skill levels.”

If you wish to donate, checks written to “MAG School Music Fund” can be mailed to MAG, PO Box 1170, Eastsound, WA 98245. MAG is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation.

Ed Wilson

Orcas Island