By Matthew Avitabile
MARGARETVILLE - Margaretville Central School will host Fortissimo: A Celebration of Music & Music Makers on Saturday, Feb. 7 with a snow date of Feb. 8. The event will start with a gala at 5:30 and a 7:00pm concert with proceeds benefitting the MCS Music Department. Lolly & the Pops will be performing as the house band.
MCS music teacher Jenna Tucker said that it was an “honor to get to work with these kids as they grow up.” She’s seen many students “grow so much with their confidence level, skills, professionalism, and bravery over the past three school years teaching in Margaretville.”
Tucker is in her 19th year of teaching music in public schools, including at MCS and near Cleveland, Ohio. She said that the experience at MCS has allowed her to have an “opportunity to enjoy teaching so many different kinds of music making. My daily schedule pivots from play-based music learning with the Pre-K students to concert programming with the High School Chorus, to individual voice lessons with students interested in preparing for NYSSMA, to nerding-out over early 90's grunge music with Music Appreciation.”
“No two days are the same, but the joy in music-making is always there.”
The Fortissimo event has become “such a meaningful way to connect music students with professionals in their community; all while raising enough funds to support the special projects and opportunities the students are wanting out of their music program.”
She particularly enjoys the moments behind the scenes during rehearsal time when students and professional musicians volunteering their time are together.
“It's an opportunity for the student musicians to be treated like a professional at work,” she said.
Tucker added that the funds raised from the concert “allow me to say yes to the special opportunities the students ask for, like field trips to NYC to see Broadway shows, concert attire, or hiring Artists in Residence to visit the students.”
The February event will be a spotlight of student achievement and local musical talent.
“Visitors and parents can look forward to coming out of their February hibernation for a really special event. They'll enjoy capturing moments on the step-and-repeat, enjoying heavy appetizers in our formal gala reception in the chorus room, bidding on exciting items in our silent auction, and most importantly, seeing our community come together to support music education and music students,” she said.
“There are so many music-lovers, musicians, artists, and performers living in and around the Catskills and surrounding counties, and this event has become a hub of connection for so many folks to whom music is such a meaningful part of their life. The 7pm concert is hosted so graciously by Garth Kravits, and he does such an entertaining job of seamlessly interweaving student performers with professionals like John Houshmand on Guitar, and vocalist Kim Collison, and Lolly & the Pops.
The teacher also lauded The Margaretville Arts Center and Delaware County School of Performing Arts as essential pieces of the event. Both organizations “have not only sponsored several financial components to putting such a large-scale event together, but have donated their time and expertise as well.”
“Julia Rugg and Garth Kravits, co-founders of the DCSPA, have provided so much expertise, guidance, and support to the students themselves, the silent auction, the event setup, the rehearsal time, the advertising, and to connecting our school with the community Arts supporters,” she said.
“Most importantly, they are passionate about connecting kids in the Margaretville School Music Education program with opportunities they might not have access to otherwise; as parents of a first grader in the school, the music program is near and dear to them on a personal level, as well,” Tucker said.
Tucker added that her favorite thing about living in the Catskills is the “strong connections I feel to my neighbors and community members, and the network of folks within the Fine Arts communities here are especially supportive of one another.”
“An event like this showcases these connections and support like no other. Adult professionals are paying-it-forward to students who are excited to take advantage of opportunities in music, people who just love seeing live music get to enjoy an eclectic menu of performance, and folks who are reliving their own memories of learning to perform or being in music class get to step inside our classroom and performance spaces,” she said.
Those who wish to join in the event can reserve tix by emailing Tucker at jtucker@margaretvillecs.org. They can also donate online directly by visiting https://www.mvillearts.com/fortissimo.
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