By Lydia Sprouts.
Four instruments. Four teen students. Let the music begin.
Crestone Performances has the honor of providing four instruments and lessons to four local teen students.
Ziah Pesquiera, Keahi Matz, Adanaia Bernard, and Miles Murphy will be able to begin their musical journey with new, high-quality instruments and a series of lessons.
Each year Crestone Performances offers grants to students in middle and high school for instruments, lessons, camps, music gear, and other performance arts related equipment or experiences.
Grants are open for application year-round and are awarded in the fall based on funding received from a Saguache County Sales Tax Grant. Once instruments are purchased, students are encouraged to get lessons from our local teachers during the winter and spring and to work on songs to perform for our monthly youth open mic.
This year Crestone Performances will feature some of its students in a showcase at the Crestone Music Festival, the nonprofit’s main event.
In the spring, there will be group classes for our students that are open to the public, including an intro to music class and an ensemble class led by local musician and teacher Alixe Landry. This is a new format, with more fluid organization to ensure that kids are part of a program of learning to maximize the potential educational opportunities provided by the grant money.
Crestone Performances will have even more opportunities to get involved during its inaugural “Crestone’s Band in a Hat” competition. Local musicians can sign up to be in a band chosen at random on Feb. 1 at T-Road Brewery’s open mic night. The bands chosen from the hat will compete on March 9 for a showcase at the festival, and the winner is chosen by audience approval.
This event will also host an Art Auction & Exhibition. Artists are invited to submit their work. This is an “open theme, cross-medium, multidisciplinary curated auction,” according to Lydia Sprouts, of Crestone Performances. When chosen, artists will be invited to showcase and auction their work with a reserved-based price.
For more information, email Crestone Performances at hello@crestoneperformances.org and submit art through:
CPIArtExhibition@gmail.com