Music with a message

Did you ever hear the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” played as a chamber music piece?

Well, if you attended last Saturday’s 30th annual M-W Faculty and Friends concert along with nearly 200 community music supporters, then you enjoyed that performance, just a part of the eclectic program by members of the Monroe-Woodbury Music Department faculty, along with friends and community members.

This annual convergence of music and education benefits music scholarships for talented M-W students offered by the M-W Music Boosters and the Souza Scholarship.

“On behalf of myself, the Music Boosters, and the Souza committee, thank you for the wonderful afternoon of musical performances on Saturday," District Music Coordinator Christopher Taborsky said to his teaching staff after the concert. "From the wide variety of musical styles performed, to the professionalism demonstrated by all musicians, it was a terrific concert.”

“The Faculty and Friends Concert was amazing,” echoed Music Boosters president Victoria Kilanowski in her assessment of the recital. “To hear the district’s musicians and vocalists, with so much experience and talent, share their time and artistry so freely is absolutely heartwarming. It is no wonder that so many audience members return year after year.”

While the official tally has yet to be finalized, the group’s estimate that several thousand dollars raised through the concert will be shared by the Souza Scholarship and the Music Boosters, to be conferred on talented M-W students in the form of future scholarships.

With audience at this year’s show slightly down from last year’s numbers, the co-sponsoring groups are already planning a proactive effort to improve attendance at next year’s show, reaching out to additional sponsors, senior centers and other local groups of potentially enthusiastic music fans.

“It is a wonderful thing that the music faculty members who perform give so willingly of their time and talents for this event,” said long-time Souza Scholarship Chairman Bob Curtis. “We are indeed lucky as a district to have these multi-talented musicians training the voices, fingers, hearts and minds of our district’s promising performing arts students.”