MAMA donates $5,000 to school
From left are Jerry Best and Al Huntzinger, board members of the Mid American Music Association, with a $5,000 check for the Clayton Ridge School music department. (Photo submitted)
By Molly Moser
Uniforms. Sheet music. Risers, instruments, and instrument repair; managing a school music program can be costly. That’s why the Mid American Music Association (MAMA) has decided to give a gift in the amount of $5,000 to the Clayton Ridge School District music programs.
“With the money we want to donate, we want to try to cover vocal, orchestral, band, whatever area produces music,” said Jerry Best, MAMA board member. “We’re going to hopefully get feedback from the various instructors or musical directors within the system on what their most important needs might be.”
Best grew up playing piano and trombone in an era when sheet music was marked at 50 cents a song. “I know right now, you’d pay $5.50 or $7 for one copy. It’s expensive to provide sheet music for 30 or 40 people, plus a conductor’s score.” Best also pointed out that more expensive, school-owned instruments used by students, such as sousaphones and timpani drums, often require repair, which can also add up.
“We’re spearing in toward the middle school level, where musicians really start to take off. They’ve learned a lot of the basics and they get to that point and now, in their own mind, almost feel professional. A lot of people in the middle school bracket are in need of monies and are overshadowed by sports and other areas of the school,” said Best.
Last year, MAMA donated $3,500 to the Clayton Ridge music department thanks to Steve Dikkers, who built a guitar and donated it for auction at the annual Rock n Roll on the River event in Guttenberg. The $5,000 donation this month stems from MAMA’s goal: to promote music and to give back to the communities it serves. The Iowa-based organization’s nine board members organize concerts throughout the state and made the first induction into their Hall of Fame in April.
“MAMA exists to keep the music alive, especially the rock and roll,” said Al Huntzinger, MAMA board member. Rock n Roll on the River will return for the seventh consecutive year in 2017, bringing in Pastmasters, a Steve Bobbitt tribute to Rod Stewart, and local favorite, Backwater. The event will be held at Lakeside Ballroom on April 8, with a traditional 50s and 60s dance and costume contest.
Last year’s event drew over 300 people to Lakeside Ballroom, and big names like The Diamonds have attracted crowds of over 700. “They come from surrounding areas: Prairie du Chien, Waukon, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids,” Huntzinger told The Press. Concertgoers stay in the motels in Guttenberg, Lakeside serves a buffet and sells beverages, and ultimately, the money raised from the event ends up back in the local economy in the form of a donation.
“We feel that we’ve got a great relationship with the community,” Huntzinger said.
“On behalf of the Clayton Ridge Music Department, I would like to convey our gratitude for the generous donation of $5,000 from the Mid American Music Association,” said Superintendent Shane Wahls. “We take great pride in our music programs and are extremely appreciative of this gift.”
