Artists In The Schools Inspires Young Musicians

Artists in the Schools musicians visit Sturgeon Bay High School students. Photo courtesy of Birch Creek Music Music Performance Center.

Birch Creek Music Performance Center hosted its annual Artists in the Schools event, Oct. 9, during which nationally-acclaimed faculty members shared their expertise with local public school music students. 

This year’s program featured Birch Creek’s Percussion, Steel Pan and World Music session faculty, including Brad Stirtz on percussion and Wesley Morgan on bass, along with Carter Stirtz, a former Birch Creek student and professional drummer.

The trio, accompanied by the organization’s executive director Mona Christensen, visited 358 students from elementary and high schools in the Sturgeon Bay and Gibraltar school districts. While there, they talked to students about Hispanic Heritage Month and the impact of Latin-American music, and showed students various percussion instruments and their historical significance.

This yearly program started in 2002 as a way to inspire the next generation of musicians.