Year-end Newsletter

Good year-end news you can use!

Friends, donors, supporters and musical family: It’s hard to believe that this year has come to a close! Big Water Creative Arts has had an amazing year of growth and we are grateful for all of the events and opportunities that have been a part of our journey. We feel blessed to be able to share the love, inspiration and good vibes that music brings to each and every one of us.

2019 saw us gaining more generous donors, sponsors and connections, culminating in a very successful 2nd annual fundraiser in June. We also had the pleasure of holding new adult songwriting workshops as part of the Bay View Association’s annual music festival in Petoskey, and on Mackinac Island in partnership with the Mackinac Arts Council. We also returned to Independence Village for the 2nd year in a row to teach music exploration and ukulele classes for the seniors there. And, we also took a new event for a test drive in December - Petoskey Community Sing, where we invited students from the Petoskey Montessori Children’s House to join together with the wonderful residents at Independence Village earlier this month. To the delight of all, it was a huge success (with over 25 kids and 35 seniors!) so much so, that we’re continuing on with an 8 week Community Sing program in early 2020. Joining generations together to sing is an amazing experience in so many ways. We couldn’t think of a better way during the holiday season to bring community together. We will be expanding this program in the future, offering the opportunity for others of all ages and walks of life to join us and sing in a fun and safe environment!

We have some great programs coming in 2020 that we can’t wait to get started! Big Water Creative Arts will be starting an 8 week Music Exploration class at Pellston Public Schools in Pellston on January 15th. Also in January, Pete Kehoe will be returning to Gaylord to work with the Michigan Arts Access group on our 2nd annual round of classes with the students at Gaylord High School. Additionally, we have programs in the works for Wolverine Public Schools in Wolverine, and classes in partnership with AuSable Artisans Village in Grayling. These programs will be starting in the first quarter of 2020.

All of us here at Big Water Creative Arts are so very thankful for the support of our generous donors and sponsors. Your support is crucial to our ongoing success and growth, and we’re so pleased to share our mission of bringing music to students, special groups, retirees, and the community at large with you. We wish you all happy holidays and look forward with anticipation to 2020!

Sincerely,

Michelle Chenard, Administrator