Donna Frederickson UMD  International Falls Cohort May 5, 1999 > Grading Contract for an A, Spring Quarter >

This past year I have directed a womans community choir known as The String of Pearls. It is a multi age volunteer group of women that meets once a week on a Tuesday evening at the high school choir room for one hour and is partially financed by the International Falls School District Community Education office. The group performs several concerts throughout the year in a variety of venues, performing a variety of music. I started the organization two years ago after having a combined community choir made up of men and women for several years. The men had started a separate group called The Northern Timbres and discovered that it was difficult to find two rehearsal times during the week. So, the community choir split into two units, The String of Pearls and The Northern Timbres. However, the two groups still perform together for special projects. They learn the music separately and hold one or two rehearsals to finalize the event. >

This past year, the Pearls performed at the band shell as part of the 4th of July week summer concerts, community organization meetings, church organization meetings, the nursing home, two retirement homes and public concerts. One of the objectives of the choir is to help raise money for beneficial units or organizations. This past December, I organized the Pearls and the Timbres to perform a concert to raise money for three organizations, the Salvation Army, the Red Cross and the Falls Hunger Coalition. The money raised that day totaled $318.00 and was divided equally among the three organizations. This spring I organized The Pearls to perform a concert complete with luscious deserts for those in attendance. This was a great success and the money raised was for the Falls Hunger Coalition. I arranged for Lutheran Brotherhood to match the funds raised, so the $375.00 we raised turned into $750.00 for the Falls Hunger Coalition. This spring we performed in a concert for the Tuesday Musicale organization, entitled Broadway on the Border, and the money raised that evening was for scholarships to send junior high or high school students to summer music camps. >

I am pleased with the progress, contributions and enjoyment that community music groups have given International Falls this past year. It is great to see a community, multi age interest in music, art and theatre happening in International Falls. I hope that these efforts show the youth of the community that adults and multi age units can and do work together for the benefit of others and that the experience can be enjoyable and a lesson in cooperation and responsibility.

-- Anonymous, May 05, 1999