Howe Sound music teachers and students will be entertaining for a good cause on Sunday (June 5) at 3 p.m.
A pay-by-donation concert at St. John Anglican Church will feature both students and professional classical musicians from the community raising funds for young musicians.
A new bursary fund is being set up through the Howe Sound Performing Arts Association (HSPAA) to provide financial assistance to young people wanting to take music lessons in Squamish. Kristine Miles and Tracy Stuchbery are heading up the bursary committee and have already collected approximately $500 in donations.
"Individuals so far have been donating but we are hoping that businesses and other organizations will choose to make a donation as well," said Stuchbery.
The bursaries will be given out based on financial need and could take on full or partial payment of students' lessons for a year, or other costs.
"As a teacher in this community, a mother of three and having studied music myself from a young age, I have always been very aware of how expensive it is for young people to pursue musical studies," said Stuchbery. "Music programs in schools are few and far between and continue to be cut. Many studies have been done to show the benefits of studying music and mastering an instrument. This sort of education should be available to everyone regardless of your economic status."
The hour-long fundraising concert highlights the quality of young talent the corridor has to offer. Emily Trann, 11, was the gold medal recipient at the Howe Sound Music Festival this year for voice in the 14 and under age category and competed at the provincial music festival held in Vernon on May 23. Sophie Demers, 13, has been studying clarinet from the age of nine. She is currently studying with local teacher Nicola Everton and plays in the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra (VYSO). Maddie Reid, 14, has been playing violin for six years and just recently auditioned for the VYSO. Danielle Gaudin is a grade 12 student at HSSS and has been playing piano since she was a young girl. She currently studies with Tracy Stuchbery. Elizabeth Neudorf is a student of Joanna Schwarz and was a gold recipient at last year's Howe Sound Music Festival.
Singer Veronica McPhee, director of the Sea to Sky singers, will be accompanied by Erik Musseau. Trio Arioso, a chamber music ensemble made up of flautist Kristine Miles, cellist Rachel Grant and pianist Tracy Stuchbery, will perform as well.
"The music will be a wonderful cross-section of classical works," said Stuchbery.
For more information about HSPAA and the Bursary concert go to the HSPAA website at www.howesoundarts.org.
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