The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Raising music education awareness
Lake County Visitors Bureau connects renowned violinist with Fine Arts Association, Mentor High Orchestra
The Lake County Visitors Bureau this year is embracing community, perhaps, as it never has before, partnering with Fine Arts Association in Willoughby and Mentor High School Orchestra to take musical education awareness to a new level.
On Oct. 18 at 7 p.m., Mark Wood, presented by LCVB, and co-founder and lead violinist of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, will participate in a master class with students at Fine Arts Association’s Corning Auditorium with the goal to electrify string players and interest more young people to participate in music education.
The free event, open to all, requires registration. Fine Arts Association is located at 38660 Mentor Ave.
“This awesome master class will be celebrating and elevating a musical connection between communities,” said Wood, who is also founder and president of the music education program Electrify Your Strings. “I’m
walking in as an artist, not a teacher. This is about educational outreach, about supporting and empowering kids. Cleveland is one of my favorite music towns, met with so much great enthusiasm. Forget Nashville.”
Jeannie Fleming-Gifford, director of education at Fine Arts Association, said the school is always excited to connect extraordinary arts resources with our community.
“The opportunity for Fine Arts students to perform for, and have feedback from, an Emmy-winning composer and nationally known musician is another way we are committed to showing students the impact and power of music education — not just in our community, but in the world.”
On Oct. 19 at noon, Wood will be the keynote speaker
at LCVB’s annual meeting, held at Noah’s Event Center, 8200 Norton Parkway in Mentor. Lunch will be provided by Marion’s Mediterranean Restaurant and Tapas Bar inside the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Mentor. The Visitors Bureau also welcomes Ken Howard of Doc Howard’s Distillery in Perry to the stage, complete with sampling bar.
The Mentor High School Orchestra, under the direction of Matt Yoke, will perform with Wood at the meeting.
“Music is the No. 1 driver of tourism-related events,” said LCVB Executive Director Scott Dockus. “Events are created around music and specifically for music. Preserving music education is very important and it’s the first thing that goes when levies fail. It’s underappreciated
and undervalued, and we want to build a foundation within the county to demonstrate what music means to the community, because our quality of life stems to our educational system.
“I’ve known Mark for eight years, and I know the good that he does. Thinking about what he could do, one of my initiatives is community participation. It’s important to me to build relationships here at home, with the community and nonprofits. Ultimately, these organizations and individuals are our ambassadors for the county, and that includes hoteliers, school districts, boards and businesses. We all collectively share the greatness of Lake County.”
For additional information, visit www.lakevisit. com/.