The Community Education Committee through its programs and activities, helps Wheatland Music meet its mission to serve as a resource center and preserve and present traditional music and arts. The Community Education committee helps select and coordinate the artists who present workshops, assemblies, or residencies in the School and Senior Program and plans the annual Traditional Arts Weekend held every year on the Wheatland grounds during Memorial Day weekend. In addition, it schedules art classes, dance lessons, coordinates the area Library Project, and provides subsidized instrument lessons for all ages. Wheatland also has loaner instruments available for lessons to help people get started playing an instrument. We have also offered Saturday fiddle workshops for all skill levels and two clogging classes.
Through these efforts over 14,000 children and adults are served each year. Community Education welcomes your participation as a committee member or as a representative of a non-profit organization if you would like to collaborate on a project. We are also looking for contact/coordinating people in area schools. If you are willing to act in that capacity please let us know. The committee selects the artists, usually in the spring, summer, and early fall, for their expertise and ability to present a high quality, developmentally appropriate arts experience. Past performance evaluations and availability of printed educational curriculum is also taken into account. Artists are offered to children and adult sites in the nine primary counties of Mecosta, Isabella, Gratiot, Midland, Clare, Osceola, Newaygo, Lake, and Montcalm served by WMO’s Community Education Outreach Program.
Wheatland Music Organization, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and provides programs and services without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, or handicap. If your site is outside of our primary service area, as a resource center, we are glad to share with you information about how to contact any of our artists for a residence or workshop.
TED BAILEY Sticks and Strings
Presenting: Small Group Performances
Ages: Older Adults
Dates: Two weeks prior notice
Our Cost: $75-$125 a performance
Your Cost/Share Donation: $25 a performance
Ted Bailey, of Mt. Pleasant, MI began playing guitar when he was just nine years old and has been playing for sixty years. Ted will perform for you a wide variety of old hymns and old-timey fiddle tunes which allow for musical expression and bring back fond memories for the listener.
MARK BAUMANN Traditional Folk Songs and Ballads
Presenting: Small Group Performances
Ages: Older Adults
Dates: Two weeks prior notice
Our Cost: $75-$125 a performance
Your Cost/Share Donation: $25 a performance
Mark Baumann, from Mecosta, MI, is joined by Mark Ray, also from Mecosta. Mark and Mark play and sing folk songs, ballads, classic country, and popular songs from earlier times. Their instruments include guitar, dobro, and now and then the banjo. They do the songs that you will remember from years ago!
KATHY HAGEN Hammered Dulcimer
Presenting: Small Group Performances
Ages: Older Adults
Dates: May – November; Two weeks prior notice
Our Cost: $75-$100 a performance
Your Cost/Share Donation: $25 a performance
Kathy Hagen, from Alma, MI, has been playing hammered dulcimer since 1985 and teaching others to play since 1986. While any type of music can be played on the dulcimer, Kathy plays traditional, bluegrass, folk, and classical. Among other locations she has played at various Senior Centers and Nursing Homes in the Central Michigan area, along with her sister and brother-in-law Sue and Glynn Russell and The Broken Glass String Band. Some oldies you will hear Kathy play are Five Foot Two, Tick Tock Polka, Red Wing, You Are My Sunshine and I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad. People are welcome to sing along.
THE FABULOUS HEFTONES Early 1900’s Popular Music
Presenting: Small Group Performances
Ages: Older Adults
Dates: Available on Fridays with two weeks prior notice
Our Cost: $150 a performance
Your Cost/Share Donation: $25 a performance
Lynn Hershberger-Hefferan and Brian Hefferan are The Fabulous Heftones. Based in Lansing, Michigan, they have been performing love songs and novelty numbers in the genre called “Tin Pan Alley” since 2006. Using a heftone, kazoo and ukulele they play the tunes and ditties of the 1920’s and more. Add to that whistling and vocals and you have a performance that goes beyond mere entertainment.
WANDA DEGEN Contemporary & Traditional Acoustic Music
Only available in Mt. Pleasant / Alma / St. Louis Area
Presents: Small Group Performances / Christmas Program
Ages: Older Adults
Dates: Two weeks prior notice
Our Cost: $250 a performance
Your Cost/Share Donation: $25 a performance
Wanda Degen is a mainstay of the Lansing area’s vibrant music community and has performed extensively all around Michigan and well beyond. She presents an entertaining program featuring songs of our northern Michigan heritage using various instruments such as autoharp, hammered dulcimer or mountain dulcimer, Wanda combines logging songs and sailing songs with descriptions and brief histories of her unique instruments. Active audience participation is encouraged through easy sing-alongs, clap-alongs and a volunteer old time rhythm band that concludes the performance.
ANDREW KAPANOWSKI 1920’s – 1950’s Sing-Alongs
Presenting: Small Group Performances
Ages: Older Adults
Dates: Two weeks prior notice
Our Cost: $75-$125 a performance
Your Cost/Share Donation: $25 a performance
Andrew Kapanowski, from Dexter, MI, is an optometry student at Ferris State University. He plays music from the 1920s-1950s, the music many seniors grew up listening to. He sings some of the songs and enjoys getting residents to sing along with him. Some songs he will play without singing, and then will ask the residents what the name of the song was – a “Name That Tune” game. The residents always love it, and it really helps to get people involved in the music. Andrew plays swings, polkas, rhumbas, cha-chas, waltzes, and frequently gets residents who will dance along to the music. He always ends his programs with a medley of the armed forces songs, and a short version of God Bless America. To this day, he still plays in the first facility to ever book him when he was sixteen years old. He is honored to be able to spend time with people of this generation, and to brighten their days with music.
DAVE LEONARD Old Time/Celtic/Folk Tunes
Presenting: Small Group Performances
Ages: Older Adults
Dates: Two weeks prior notice
Our Cost: $75-$100 a performance
Your Cost/Share Donation: $25 a performance
Dave Leonard, from Shepherd, MI, sings and plays the fiddle, hurdy-gurdy, bouzouki and claw-hammer banjo. He plays a wide variety of old ballads, folk tunes and instrumentals of Irish, Scottish, English and American Appalachian roots. Dave is also a member of Tinkers Folly, a trio that performs a variety of vocal and instrumental tunes from the Celtic, Old Time and Maritime genre.
*Tinkers Folly is available for special occasions.
DAVID MARASUS Piano Entertainment
Presenting: Small Group Performances
Ages: Older Adults
Dates: May – December, Two weeks prior notice
Our Cost: $75-$100 a performance
Your Cost/Share Donation: $25 a performance
David Marasus, from Canadian Lakes, MI, has been performing for the past 56 years. He offers a wide variety of musical tunes including gospel, classical and old standards from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. Each show provides a pleasant blend of both instrumental tunes and sing-a-longs. David does have a small piano that he can bring with him to your facility if you do not have an available piano.
NATHAN MYERS Blues & Jazz Guitar
Presenting: Small Group Performances
Ages: Older Adults
Dates: Two weeks prior notice
Our Cost: $75-$125 a performance
Your Cost/Share Donation: $25 a performance
Nathan Myers, from Stanwood, MI, performs easy listening instrumental guitar solos with a jazz and blues feel. He is accompanied by accomplished saxophonist, Gene Harris. They will play upbeat swing tunes, well known standards and ballads. Nathan is a long time participant in the Central Michigan music scene. He is also an accomplished music instructor in private lessons and through the Wheatland Music Organization’s Community Education lesson program. Nathan will be glad to talk with the audience about what he is playing.
WILLOW ROBINSON American Folk Music
Presenting: Small Group Performances
Ages: Older Adults
Dates: Two weeks prior notice
Our Cost: $75-$125 a performance
Your Cost/Share Donation: $25 a performance
Willow Robinson, from Hersey, MI, performs American Traditional music including Bluegrass, Old Time Folk and Great Lakes-based songs as well as her own original music. In addition to performing the music, Willow will tell stories about the music and give some background about the autoharps and fiddles she uses. The audience is often urged to participate.
STEVE TROYER “One Man Band”
*Only available from Big Rapids to the West
Presenting: Small Group Performances
Ages: Older Adults
Dates: Two weeks prior notice
Our Cost: $75-$100 a performance
Your Cost/Share Donation: $25 a performance
Steve Troyer, from Muskegon, MI, plays a wide variety of your old time favorites from Blueberry Hill and Chantilly Lace to Love Me Tender and Moon River; Steve’s got something for everyone. Steve has been playing guitar since 1964 and specializes in old campfire cowboy songs like that of Roy Rogers. The “One Man Band” includes Steve’s vocals, guitar skills, bass pedals and a harmonizer.
From February 17-18, 2015, Elementary Schools in Barryton & Mecosta were given workshops and performances by Matt Watoba and Robert Jones in celebration of Black History Month. Together they present a tremendous program entitled “Celebrating Cultural Diversity” which is rich in African American history and the Roots of American Music. The 45-60 minute program introduces key American historical music figures and points out where their music has intersected with African American, Native American and Latino musical influences.
