Pipestone Flyer
Thirty-seven years in existence, Leduc-Nisku Rotary Club’s Music Festival has made quite a name for itself. Under the firm and skillful hand of Terry Atkinson, it not only survived economy and internet games so popular with youth, but it flourished. Now under new leadership, the Rotary Music Festival is still going strong.
For the second year, the Rotary Music Festival has gratefully received a ‘Boost’ as Mark Tamagi, owner of The One (93.1) FM Radio created a scholarship for deserving talent, a part of his commitment to the community, and to the CRTC’s Canadian Content Development program (CCD). Teena Van Boom, a long-time Leduc vocal teacher and the Music Festival’s current president, was happy to hear the news that two young participants who wowed the adjudicators, had been chosen to receive a scholarship based on their performance at the Festival. The One (Leduc’s 93.1 FM country music station) has made a seven-year commitment to allocate this scholarship to a deserving student heading to/or already in a post-secondary program. These scholarships go towards the youth’s post-secondary education expenses.
Two winners this year will share the $2,500 scholarship. Katherine Abbass (18) is a talented pianist who chose to perform in Speech. A Beaumont resident and Beaumont High School graduate, she is currently in her second year at UofA in Education and teaches piano at Leduc School of Music. To add to her busy schedule, she is also a volunteer teacher at E4C Art Start, an organisation that offers art classes to under-privileged kids.
Ethan Snowden, 18, showed his impressive talent in his Vocal performance: a Millet resident and Wetaskiwin High graduate, he is heading to Grant McEwan University to pursue a training in Theatre Arts.
Youths who are currently training in Piano, Speech, Theatre Arts, Band, Choral and Vocal register individually (not through their school, as some might assume). The Festival is a “platform to perform, an opportunity to polish their skills, and be judged by adjudicators’, shared Ms Van Boom. A large Committee of volunteers runs the Festival and is presently inviting supporters to apply for the two vacant positions of volunteer coordinator and fundraising volunteer. A website is being set up for the Festival and the Committee is excited about its fall launch.
Pictured: Karren Andreychuk, The One's general sales manager, Teena Van Boom, President of the Rotary Music Festival, Marc Tamagi, The One owner and Gruff Gushnowski; on Left), new Morning Man present the 2014 Scholarship to be shared by Ethan Snowden and Katherine Abbass. Photo by Dominique Vrolyk