FRIENDS OF MUSIC DONATE MUSIC EQUIPMENT TO SPRING MILLS HIGH SCHOOL

The Friends of Music have donated musical equipment to Spring Mills High School in Berkeley County.

The donation, which was made January 31, consisted of four adjustable, folding stools for use by bass players in the school orchestra. Dr. Jeannine Sturm, music teacher at the school, requested the stools. She said they were needed to accommodate the varying heights of bass players, giving them better stability and support for their different playing postures. The total value of the donation was $300.

The accompanying photo shows the school orchestra’s bass players and their new stools.

The donation is part of an ongoing effort by the Friends of Music to support music education for area children.

Each year, the Friends provide an opportunity for Berkeley and Jefferson county music teachers to apply for grants to support their student programs. The organization typically awards grants for such items as musical instruments, sheet music, music software, books and supplies. The Friends also provide scholarships to talented students who are pursuing degrees in music. The Friends of Music organization is a Shepherdstown-based, non-profit that was founded in 1999 to support and promote musical excellence. It supports the Two Rivers Chamber Orchestra, the only professional classical music orchestra in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, and one of only three such orchestras in the state.