Anonymous donor plays the strings for Catholic schools

Intermountain Catholic

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Saint John the Baptist sixth grade students make up one of two elementary school orchestras at the Skaggs Catholic Center in a new multi-school orchestra program. IC photo/Christine Young

DRAPER — An anonymous donor has helped launch a multi-school orchestra music program for the three schools located on the campus of the Skaggs Catholic Center and Saint Andrew School in Riverton. The donor has posed a challenge grant over the next five years to continue building on this program so that by the time the elementary students reach high school, Juan Diego Catholic High School will have an exceptional orchestra.

Juan Diego started its orchestra program three years ago when Jed Blodgett was hired as the orchestra instructor. "Juan Diego only had one orchestra at that time and there were only nine students in the orchestra," Blodgett said. "We added one orchestra last year and this year we have added two elementary programs and a middle school orchestra for a total of five orchestras. We have gone from nine students to 70. We include St. Andrew Elementary in the five, so we have two elementary orchestras. The students from St. Andrew are in fourth and fifth grade, and the students from St. John the Baptist are in sixth grade."

"The new program is a wonderful opportunity for the students," said St. Andrew Elementary School principal Holy Cross Sister Karla McKinnie. "It’s not very expensive; they pay $50 for the year, and then rent their instruments. The students meet from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday at St. Andrew. This is a wonderful way for the students to get exposed to music."

Bob Mutz, Saint John the Baptist Elementary and Middle School advancement director, agrees the orchestra opens musical doors for the students. "They are learning to play instruments that weren’t typically available to them," he said. "Previously they could choose percussion instruments, the trumpet, clarinet or flute; now they can also select to play stringed instruments. The anonymous donor is involved with the Utah Symphony and is trying to encourage the kids to play orchestral instruments at an early age before they become involved with high school activities."

Blodgett said the donation also allowed them to hire Logan McKinney, a local string professional, who has taken over the two elementary orchestras and also serves as a consultant for the middle school and high school orchestras.

McKinney, a string instrument specialist, has taught at other schools in the area, said Blodgett, adding that it’s nice to have McKinney as a resource.

"We now have some money to purchase some instruments so the students who play the cello or bass don’t have to bring their instruments from home every day," said Blodgett, who teaches percussion and orchestra. "Hopefully, before too long, we will have a big enough program to warrant a full-time string teacher and orchestra teacher so I can teach percussion and Matt Reynolds, our new band teacher, can teach band and we will be in our specialty areas."

Blodgett also would like to have the orchestra play during the school Masses, and at community events, he said. "We would like to provide the orchestra or string quartets for the community and become well-known as a resource. We also would like to introduce orchestral music in the community to those who haven’t been exposed to it."

The Juan Diego Catholic High School Music Department will present a showcase concert Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Draper Amphitheater, 944 East Vestry Road, Draper. The concert will feature Juan Diego High School’s orchestra, band, drum line, steel drum band and choirs.