Entertainment

Come Hear Watertown Musicians, Young and Old, at MusicFest

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The Friends of Watertown Music (FoWM) presents its 6th annual MusicFest fundraiser, Friday, March 31, 5:30-9:30 p.m., at the Watertown Middle School, 68 Waverly Avenue, Watertown, MA. The event features over fifty performances by musicians by students, community members, and professional musicians, and an instrument petting zoo. Proceeds benefit the music program of the Watertown Public Schools. Suggested donations are $8/person and $25/family. T-shirts and other merchandise, pizza, and baked goods will also be on sale.

Schools

See How You Can Support the Friends of Watertown Music

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To support music in Watertown’s schools, Friends of Watertown Music was formed in the summer of 2011 in response to severe budget cuts in the Watertown Public Schools music program, the said in an announcement. Since then, through the generosity of our donors, we have awarded three major grants and several small grants totaling over $18,000 to the Watertown Public Schools in order to expand and enhance music instruction. Additionally, through grants from outside institutions, we have acquired approximately $15,000 worth of new instruments to be used by students in all of Watertown’s public schools. Friends of Watertown Music continues to prioritize using donations to make grants that expand teaching staff and support teacher-student interaction. We also seek grants from outside sources to provide instruments to expand opportunities for students to learn to play instruments. As this year comes to a close, won’t you please consider joining us in our efforts to continue to enrich, sustain, and develop the music program in the Watertown Public Schools?  We have five donor levels:  Soprano (up to $25), Alto ($50), Tenor ($75), Bass ($100), Conductor ($250) or Maestro ($500 and up) and your generous contribution will be acknowledged in our Sixth Annual MusicFest program book.  (Save the date:  March 31, 2017!) You can donate with PayPal or any credit card on our website: https://watertownmusic.org/donate/ or checks may be sent to Friends of Watertown Music, 43 Paul St., Watertown, MA 02472
Thank you all for your support,
Friends of Watertown Music

Highlights from 2016
• Our 2015-16 grant for a 0.1 FTE (full-time equivalent) teacher for adaptive music has been incorporated into the school budget for 2016-17.

Schools

Watertown Musicians, Young and Old, Perform at MusicFest

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Music permeated the halls of Watertown Middle School Friday night during the fifth annual MusicFest. Each year, the Friends of Watertown Music gives local musicians the chance to showcase their musical talent, and this year, more than 50 acts took part in the festivities. The event raises money for Friends of Watertown Music, a group of volunteer parents and friends of the music program established in the summer of 2011 to raise the funds necessary to maintain and sustain the music programs in the Watertown Public Schools. While many performers were students in the Watertown Public Schools, the event drew outside groups, Watertown music teachers and other groups from the community. Attendees could choose from four stages – from the small one in the WMS art room to the large stage of the Middle School Auditorium.

Schools

Musicians Wanted to Perform at 5th Annual Watertown MusicFest

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Friends of Watertown Music welcomes performers of all ages and all musical styles to perform at our fifth Annual Watertown MusicFest from 5:30-9:30 a.m. on Friday, April 8 at Watertown Middle School, 68 Waverley Ave. MusicFest is a lively and eclectic evening of music with performances on four stages. What makes MusicFest so great is the participation of a variety of performers. Join us! The event is a Fundraiser to support music in the Watertown Public Schools.

Friends of Watertown Music

Friends of Watertown Music Seeks Donations to Help the Town Schools

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The Friends of Watertown Music sent out the following announcement:

Dear Friends,

As you know, Friends of Watertown Music was formed in the summer of 2011 in response to severe budget cuts in the Watertown Public Schools music program.  Since then, through the generosity of our donors, we have awarded three major grants and several small grants totaling over $18,000 to the Watertown Public Schools in order to expand and enhance music instruction. 

As this year comes to a close, won’t you please consider joining us in our efforts to continue to enrich, sustain, and develop the music program in the Watertown Public Schools. We have five donor levels:  Soprano (up to $25), Alto ($50), Tenor ($75), Bass ($100) or Conductor ($250 or more) and your generous contribution will be acknowledged in our fifth Annual MusicFest program book. (Save the date:  April 8, 2016!) You can donate with PayPal or any credit card on our website:  http://watertownmusic.org/, or checks may be sent to Friends of Watertown Music, 43 Paul St., Watertown, MA 02472

Thank you all for your support,

Friends of Watertown Music

 

Highlights from 2015:

In September, Friends of Watertown Music presented a grant of $5830 to the Watertown Public Schools to fund a 0.1 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) increase in music instruction, allowing the Cunniff School to offer adaptive music at the elementary level, providing a more accessible experience and connection to music for all students. The district restored the Fine, Applied, and Performing Arts (FAPA) curriculum coordinator position for FY16.   With our 2015 grant, the department now has an additional 1.2 FTE positions for the 2015-16 school year. Friends of Watertown Music was awarded a grant of $2250 from the Watertown Community Foundation and purchased a new hanging cymbal, violin, viola, and elementary-sized string bass for students to play!

Charity

Local Foundation Awards Grant to Help Music in Watertown Schools

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The Watertown Community Foundation awarded a grant to help the music program in the Watertown Public Schools. The Friends of Watertown Music announced this week that they were awarded one of the Watertown Community Foundation’s 2015 Educational Program Grants. “Our $2,250 grant will be used to purchase musical instruments and repair existing instruments so that more children will be able to participate in the excellent instrument program which is offered for free to all students in Watertown’s public schools, starting in fourth grade,” the Friends said in an announcement. Find out more about Watertown Community Foundation on their Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/WatertownCommunityFoundation – or visit the Watertown Community Foundation’s website www.watertownfoundation.org.

Schools

Friends of Watertown Music Seeking Instrument Donations

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If you have a musical instrument that you are not using, the Friends of Watertown Music can help you find a home. On Thursday, June 18, the group will be accepting musical instrument donations at Watertown Middle School, 68 Waverley Ave. “You can help by pulling that lonely saxophone or trumpet out of the back of the closet and bringing it to the Middle School next Thursday evening. All instruments for either the band or strings program will be accepted, and you will be given a receipt for your donation,” the Friends’ announcement said. Contact Friends of Watertown Music at hellowatertownmusic@gmail.com with questions or if you would like to help.