Cultural Art Strings Awarded $5,000 to start The Manchester Youth Orchestra

Special guest Mr. B Mark Lincoln Braun will bring Boogie Woogie Blues on his famous Piano Bike "The Joybox Express". Photo courtesy of CAS.

We reported in May that Cultural Art Strings (CAS), now entering its fourth year and dedicated to providing string music education to Manchester’s youth, announced it's intention of creating the first ever Manchester Youth Orchestra. They've just received a helping hand toward that goal as the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation Youth Council has awarded them a $5,000 grant to get the project started.

Imagine a youth group made up of the finest area musicians gathering together on a weekly basis to study and rehearse music that they have chosen. The Manchester Youth Orchestra Project is setting out to create such a group in which decisions are made by youth leaders with guidance from professionals. CAS intends to give their students an even broader experience in music making by exposing then to the rich orchestral sounds which combine strings with wind, brass and percussion.

To kick off the project and its upcoming Summer Music Day Camp which runs June 15-26, CAS will be presenting a Benefit Concert on Saturday, June 13th at the Home of Kent and Lynn Miller located at 10529 Rolling Oaks, just outside the village. The concert is open to the public and is suggesting a $12 donation to. Online reservations can be made here.

Attendees will not only get to hear faculty, students and friends playing a variety of music including tango, klezmer, Appalachian, and gypsy, but a special guest appearance by Mr. B Mark Lincoln Braun will bring Boogie Woogie Blues on his famous Piano Bike The Joybox Express. As the leader of his own non-profit The Joybox Express, Mr. B is dedicated to helping organizations such as Cultural Art Strings raise funds for arts and sports programs. Mr. B will be playing for the crowd and announcing the date of his return for The MYOP Bike-A-Thon in which area families can sign up to ride with Mr. B around Manchester raising awareness for the project.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.