Rawlins Piano Trio

The Rawlins Piano Trio from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion will present a concert on Friday, September 9th at 7:30 p.m. in the Choir Room at Willmar Senior High School. The concert is a benefit for Willmar Music Matters and is being presented in conjunction with the Willmar High School Music Department.

The concert is free and open to the public. A donation to Willmar Music Matters is encouraged and all donations are tax-deductible. Space in the choir room is limited but tickets for guaranteed seating may be obtained in advance at Whitney Music or from any Willmar Music Matters committee member or by contacting Raeanna Gislason at 235-0598.

The Rawlins Piano Trio, from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, performs regularly throughout the United States and abroad, including prestigious concert series, television and radio broadcasts, and appearances at conferences and educational outreach to young audiences.

The Trio will visit the orchestra students in the Willmar Middle School on Thursday afternoon and the Willmar High School on Friday morning. Active as teachers as well as performers, artists Eunho Kim, violin, Marie-Elaine Gagnon, cello, and Susan Keith Gray, piano, are on the faculty of the University of South Dakota Department of Music. www.rawlinstrio.com

Willmar Music Matters (WMM) has raised money for the past three years to help offset the cuts to the music department at Willmar Public Schools due to budget constraints. WMM affiliated with Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) in 2009. The Foundation provides WMM with a non-profit status and fiscal integrity. Grants from SWIF, using the money WMM has raised, funded the continuation of 4th and 5th grade orchestra lessons for 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. WMM’s goal is to raise enough money to also start band at the 5th grade level.

Various fund-raisers these past three years have included CD sales by Dempsey Schroeder, a concert by Andrew Wilkowske, a Walt’s Car Wash day, the on-going Cans for Kids project at Cullen’s, and most recently, proceeds from the musical, Godspell, at the First Covenant Church.

Committee members for WMM are Darlene Schroeder, Cheryl Schmidt, Darcy Lease- Gubrud, Lori Park-Smith, Sara Bos, Jill Benson, and Walt and Raeanna Gislason. Countless volunteers have helped with the various fundraisers and nearly one hundred people have signed on as members of Willmar Music Matters.