The Plumas County Summer Music Program, organized by Plumas Performing Arts in July, was a ringing success! Over 100 students and adults participated in the program, which featured free weekly music instruction for K-12 students in Portola, Greenville, Chester, and Quincy as well as a Community Band in Quincy and a handbell choir in Chester.
The programs were tailored to the interests of those who signed up. Portola had a robust General Music class taught by music education student, Tristan McMichael. Boomwhackers, drums, and singing were part of the curriculum for the youngest music students.
In Chester and Greenville, Dr. Jane Brown had instruction in band instruments, guitar, drums and more. In Quincy, music director Eliza Hardee taught a mix of General Music students, beginning band, and continuing band students.
The goal of the program was to make music accessible to communities throughout the county with no costs to participants. Secondary goals included filling gaps in Portola where there isn’t a current music teacher, encouraging band members to practice their instruments over the summer or mentor younger students, and to reintroduce handbell choirs to the Chester area, where the Chester Community Chorus has been the caretakers of a handbell set that was not being used. As a result of the program this summer, interest has been renewed and a new handbell ensemble is forming.
Each community was also given a supplies budget as well as a fund for instrument purchases, and those instruments will continue to be used in each of those communities for years to come. Multiple types of drums, metallophones, and other Orff instruments were purchased through the program.
The Summer Music Program was sponsored and organized by Plumas Performing Arts with the additional financial support of Plumas Arts, The Common Good Foundation, Bread for the Journey, the Chester Community Chorus, Grocery Outlet Quincy, and Soroptimist International of Quincy as well as individual donors throughout the county.
For more information about Plumas Performing Arts, please visit plumasperformingarts.org
Information submitted by Plumas Performing Arts.
