Concert to raise funds for music camperships
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — The Presque Isle Music Boosters will sponsor a talent show Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Presque Isle Middle School auditorium. Proceeds from the event will help send middle school students to summer music camps.
Now in its 10th year, the Travis Wood Scholarship Talent Show will feature the musical abilities of local middle and high school students. 
PIMS music teachers Pat Bragdon and Jay Nelson are rounding up a talented slate of performers that will offer a variety of selections. Tickets, which can be purchased at the door, are $3 for adults, $2 for students and $10 for immediate family.
“This is always a fun event for us,” said Nelson. “The students love to perform for their peers, friends and parents. Performance is a large part of music education, and this event gives them the opportunity to showcase their talent in a very public way. It also helps raise funds to support extending musical opportunities in the summer.”
The fund began with a generous donation from a community member following the tragic death of Travis Wood.
“Travis was a sixth-grade band and chorus student with a zest for life and a very inquisitive nature,” said Nelson. “He loved playing the drums and had just joined the middle school chorus when a snowmobile accident tragically took his life.
“Soon after, the scholarship was established in his name,” he said. “Each year, one student, who exemplifies Travis’ love of music and zest for life, receives full funding to attend a summer music camp. Other students receive partial scholarships.”
The talent show was established to replenish the funds to assure that future students will have the same opportunity. In the past 10 years, over 60 students have benefited.
“The Music Boosters organization is committed to supporting a quality music program in our schools,” said Athena Hallowell, president of the Boosters. “It is not only culturally enriching, but there is evidence of the connection between music and learning.”
According to a recent report by the President’s Committee on Arts and the Humanities (PCAH), research supports positive educational outcomes associated with arts-rich schools. These outcomes include increased academic achievement, school engagement and creative thinking. Most recently, cutting edge studies in neuroscience have been further developing an understanding of how arts strategies support crucial brain development in learning.
