Joe Ostenson AKA “Mr. O” will be hosting a free anniversary community concert on Saturday, Jan. 30 at Mr. O’s Academy of the Arts at 360 Sixth St. in Hollister from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Donations are welcomed to assist the nonprofit music school to continue to offer low cost music lessons and, when available, free instrument rentals to all community members in San Benito County.
The following bands will perform in order of appearance:
- Mr. O’s Jazz Band
- The Group of Four
- Watsonville Woods
- The Flashbacks
- Shiloh
- Kizmet
- Folklorico Juvenil
This year, the Academy of the Arts will be offering additional concerts at its venue on Sixth Street. Still in the preliminary planning stage, the nonprofit music school is interested in partnering with other nonprofit organizations to pool resources in order to apply for community impact grants with which to offer free music classes and instruments to at-risk and underserved youth in San Benito County.
Mr. O recently met with Jennifer Laine, executive director of the San Benito County Arts Council, to seek assistance with grant application and resource sharing to help promote such a concert series.
In the next 30 days, Mr. O’s Academy of the Arts will be meeting with music industry professionals to explore partnerships that will enable the nonprofit school to offer free ukuleles and mini guitars in a pilot program for at-risk and underserved youth in the community interested in taking free music classes at the Academy, but whose families may be unable to pay for instruments and lessons.
It is envisioned that the proposed concert series this year will feature professional touring musicians as headline acts with performing artists and bands to perform as opening acts. The goal will be to offer top-quality concerts to community members and raise donations to help the nonprofit music school attract additional students to participate in low cost or free music education programs offered by Mr. O’s Academy of the Arts.
Joe and Francie Ostenson are also interested in expanding music education programs in San Juan Bautista, Aromas and rural schools in San Benito County. Community members interested in expanding music programs throughout the county are encouraged to contract Mr. O’s Academy of the Arts to discuss such opportunities.
This year, community members, friends and family in the community or around the world who cannot physically attend the concert are encouraged to watch Saturday’s concert online at: www.concertwindow.com for free. The website offers viewers the ability to “tip” Mr. O’s Academy of the Arts so the nonprofit organization may continue to raise revenue necessary to cover the cost to operate in Hollister.
For more information about Mr. O’s Academy, visit its website by clicking here.