The Mallett Brothers will be in Washington County for a free concert for some very lucky school students. The concert — which will be held at Narraguagus Jr/Sr High School in Harrington on Thursday, March 30 at 12:30 p.m. — is a collaboration between The Maine Academy of Modern Music, the Maine Seacoast Mission EdGE program, Narraguagus Jr/Sr High School, and Cherryfield Elementary School, with the performance being the latest step in supporting schools with their broader musical programming and connecting students to Maine bands from across the state. This event is NOT open to the general public.
The Mallett Brothers performance, made possible by a grant from Healthy Acadia, will expose young people in Washington County to the power of music, and help strengthen the local community of music students, audiences, music instructors, and peers. The focus is on creating a spark that can lead to students becoming more involved in community-wide musical events and personal musicianship.
COVID-19 precautions led to a steep decline to both community music engagement and the music programs of area schools. Narraguagus Jr/Sr High has not had a full time music educator for two years and Cherryfield Elementary School has been facing staffing challenges since the pandemic. MAMM has been involved with music education in Washington County for over a decade by offering summer camps, individual lessons, and ensemble-playing to students attending elementary schools in Harrington, Machias, Addison and Jonesport, offering free instruction for high school students attending the Cobscook Institute, and weeklong summer rock camps at UMaine Machias. However, these programs were paused in March 2020 due to pandemic restrictions.
“We needed to re-examine the community needs after COVID”, stated Jeff Shaw, executive director of MAMM. “The kind of programs that will have the greatest benefit have changed. We are still working for the same outcome, but how we get there requires more creativity. Attending a free concert featuring one of Maine’s best-known bands, The Mallett Brothers, will result in learning, engagement, cultural enrichment, and community-building, in a way that is better suited for a community that has seen three years of reduced opportunity for live music learning, listening, and performing”.
Hosting the show will be MAMM’s own Bangor Program Coordinator Jason Stewart, who is also a radio DJ on both I-95 and Q106.5.
The Mallett Brothers event is just the beginning. A follow-up concert on April 29 will feature MAMM student bands from Bangor and Portland as well as performances by Down East students. The proceeds from this fundraiser will support the Narraguagus junior and senior classes. On May 13, a MAMM Girls Rock! concert will take place in Bangor and students from Down East will be offered free passes and transportation to the event. They will also be invited to attend the (free) Resurgam Music and Arts Festival in Portland on June 11. All of these activities will be monitored by MAMM and public school or EdGE staff and parents to ensure the safety and security and engagement of the participating students.
“We are excited about reaching young people in this new way and are optimistic that these will be meaningful experiences for the students, their families, and the community”, concluded Shaw. “Since its inception, MAMM has forged partnerships with schools and organizations to reach underserved and economically challenged families. We are committed to uniting the “Two Maines of MAMM”: linking our urban music education model to rural communities and expanding access to inclusive music education everywhere”.
MAMM is a music education nonprofit that serves hundreds of students statewide with a mission to use the power of music to inspire students, foster creative collaboration, and build community. MAMM programs provide a healthy, positive, and fun outlet for creative expression and an environment to practice important life skills. Core values of the organization are rooted in the important role music plays in cultivating harmony, resilience, leadership, and community.
As Maine’s only nonprofit music school focused on rock and other modern musical genres, MAMM attracts young people who need music in their lives but may resist participating in more traditional music programs and out-of-school activities. MAMM brings together young people who otherwise might not have creative opportunities and provides them with a constructive, creative outlet that speaks to their passions while building their musical skills, confidence, and positive social connections. To learn more about the Maine Academy of Modern Music, its programs, and how you can get involved, please visit: http://MAMM.rocks.