June is filled with final recitals in studios where students can show off what they have accomplished for the year through performances for family and friends. Teachers are proud of the MusicLink students included in these recitals, realizing the value of lessons they are providing for these students. Students also share performances that benefit the MusicLink Foundation through playathons and other types of benefit activities and performances. We appreciate how “kids help kids” through these special events.

We are excited to see more organizations choose the MusicLink Foundation as a worthwhile charity for their fundraising events. In addition to the events featured below, we want to thank the following organizations for their generosity and interest in our mission.

• Epstein and Company—donated $1500 as an annual contribution
• Ascensus Association for MusicLink Foundation—raised $345 from their Mardi Gras celebration
• Music for Young Children—donated $500 as an annual contribution
• Kanter Kallman Foundation—$5000 to support MusicLink’s New York program
• Zanar Fund—$4000 to support MusicLink’s Washington DC program

Events Across the Country Raise $14,500
for the MusicLink Foundation

Sounds of Hope Benefit Concert

Sue Wege, MusicLink Director of Coordinators (center)
with Thomas Nelson, Katie Yapp, Anna Li and
Jerry Shelton, band director.

MN: The MusicLink Foundation was honored to be chosen again by the Tri-M Music Honors Society to be the beneficiary of its Sounds of Hope benefit concert on March 21st at the Math and Science Academy in Woodbury, MN. Tri-M president, Anna Li, organized the event along with Tri-M members Thomas Nelson and Katie Yapp. Jerry Shelton, the band director at the academy, directed the concert which raised $1,335.73 for the MusicLink Foundation.

Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Music Therapy Students (MARAMTS)

Executive Director, Joanne Haroutounian, (center) with MARAMTS president, Rachel Williams, and Ryan Davis.

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Association for Music Therapy Students (MARAMTS) is a student-run organization which strives to connect college students with peers studying the field of music therapy and keeps students informed about the profession within the region. MARAMTS also provides students with opportunities to experience and learn about being a professional music therapist.

MARAMTS Gives Back (MGB) is a fundraiser that is established and solely funded through the universities within the Mid-Atlantic region. Previously known as “The Canning Project,” MBG involves students at each university in the Mid-Atlantic region organizing one fundraiser to benefit a foundation/company voted on by MARAMTS that represents a music therapy or music related cause. This year, the organization chose the MusicLink Foundation as the recipient of their fund-raising events. Each college chose a different way to raise funds, which included a can and coin drive and a Chipotle fundraiser. A check for $1,276.15 was presented to Executive Director, Joanne Haroutounian, at the MARAMTS conference in March. Funds were added to this amount from a Nazareth College MARAMTS event that brought the total to $1,519.42.

Minnesota MusicLink Celebrates
11th Annual Playathon

MN: The 11th annual MusicLink Playathon took place at the Mall of America on the weekend of February 9–10. Saturday went smoothly ending with the wonderful Popular Styles Hour. Then the snow came—but so did the performers. Even with the awful Sunday driving conditions, only 23 performers could not make it that day! Minnesotans are a hardy bunch! Every one of the faithful volunteers showed up and did a terrific job keeping everything running smoothly.

By the end of the weekend the playathon raised over $9,700.00 and included nearly 250 performances, taking into account all the times emcees stepped in to fill space left from the absences. The top fundraising studio was again Kathryn Karg’s. Her wonderful students raised $1,603 beating their last year’s amazing total. Second and third place went to Kim Nichols with $1,030 and Marianne Bryan with $655.

Top individual fundraisers were Rory Thompson with $450, Dehlia Woltman, student of Kathryn Karg, with $325 and Ellerie Ulfers, student of Doug Rohde, with $255. Students who raised over $100 are pictured at the end of the newsletter along with students who raised over $250 who also received a MusicLink tote bag and a $50 gift card.

Sue Wege, MusicLink Director of Coordinators, organized the event with help from MMTA teachers, parents and other volunteers. Featured emcee/performers were Joe Filipovich, Kathryn & Andy Karg, Mitch Grussing, Hailey James and nationally known duo-pianists, the Hamann Sisters. Special thanks goes to Doug Rohde for coordinating & emceeing the Popular Styles Hour and to Sean Roderick and Adam Patterson for joining Doug in backing up our student performers. What a special experience for the kids!

Hopewell Ukulele Group

New York MusicLink Fundraiser

This year the New York MusicLink annual fundraiser was held at the Walt Whitman Shop Mall. A rainy weekend brought a great turn out and raised $2045.00.

The Faust Harrison Piano store delivered a grand piano and sound system. The Vice President of the company came in on his own time and set everything up and tuned the piano, all as a donation to our fundraiser!

Pianists, singers, a classical guitarist, a sax player, a mandolin player all added to the classical to contemporary music each day. Music lovers young and old, amateurs and professionals performed Saturday and Sunday in the rotunda of the mall. The Northport High School sent several string ensembles to perform. They performed original compositions that they wrote in composition class.

This year there was a new team of adults working on the event including Don and Debbie Sherman (both talented local musicians) and Nichole Heid ( flutist and accountant). Don emceed the two days, Debbie supervised the student volunteers and Nichole videoed the event. High school students from three different school districts helped run the event. The enthusiasm for the event continues to grow each year.

Nygel Witherspoon Alumni Spotlight

MusicLink has long known the Witherspoon “kids,” from when they first began MusicLink lessons at age nine (Alistair), seven (Imala) and six (Nygel). It seems like only yesterday when we saw these highly talented students grow through lessons with excellent teachers, experiences at summer programs with MusicLink camp scholarship help and a string of awards and performances that highlighted their capabilities.

Now Nygel is 17 years old and an accomplished musician who won first place in the junior division of the prestigious Sphinx Competition. This award entitles Nygel the opportunity to perform solos with major orchestras as well as performing on From the Top, a nationally broadcast radio show.

David Holmes taught Nygel through MusicLink from the start to age 16 when he enrolled in the University of Minnesota. He explains that Nygel “was calm and serene, with an innate ability to focus. His passion hit him early on. He has perfect pitch and an incredible drive.” (Star Tribune article, March 15, 2019)

Nygel is currently a senior at Connections Academy Online School and attends post-secondary enrollment options (PSEO) at the University of Minnesota studying cello performance with Tanya Remenikova. He will begin undergraduate studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in the fall, studying with Peter Wiley.

Nygel Witherspoonm (photo credit Alejandro Pena)

Jordan Kitts Donates Digital
Pianos to MusicLink

Jordan Kitt’s Music has donated 12 digital pianos to the MusicLink Foundation which are being distributed to students in the Northern Virginia area. Lauren’s mother was surprised to see a brand-new digital piano with a stool and foot pedals delivered to her door so that her daughter can enjoy her MusicLink lessons with a decent instrument for practice and performance. We thank Chris Syllaba, Brad Prentice and Scott Madden for making this possible along with ongoing in-kind instrument support for MusicLink.

Lauren Priestley with her new digital piano

New MusicLink Teachers

The MusicLink Foundation welcomes the following 17 new or returning teachers. These teachers bring our current total to 332 and our overall teacher total to 3,188.

AR: Stephanie Just; CO: Henry Spencer; GA: Taylor Helms; IL: Sarah Vasko; MA: Kenya Esteva, Francis (Rita) Rotondo; MD: Sylvie Beaudoin (returning), Holly Hamilton; NV: Patrick Worley; NM: Gabriela da Silva Fogo; NY: Lisa Bastien, Hendry Wijaya; PA: Janet Maass Fitz; RI: Victor Mansella; TX: Takenya Battle, Joseph Popke; VA: Louise Lee (returning). Canada - ON: Soah Lu.

Minnesota Playathon Donations
(raised $250 or more)

Lillie Imm	Mhari Telfer
Rory Thompson	Ellerie Ulfers
Dehlia Woltman

Minnesota Playathon Donations
(raised $100 or more)

Sydney Birk	Laura Braun
Henry Fafinski	Mark Hamilton with Sara Diedrich
Ava Husain	Hailey James
Anh Le	Mikee Martinez
Lizzie Peterson with Sara Diedrich	Cassie Podgorski
Luke Smith