Students Serving Through Music

Three Northern Michigan high school students auditioned and landed a spot in this year's Lions of Michigan All-State Band, along with about 40 other top student performers from all across Michigan. Calista Hoeksema, a junior, Patrick Puroll and Jürgen Griswold, both seniors, are active members of their high school band as well as several community service organizations, including S.A.F.E in Northern MI, Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council, National Honor Society, and the Little Reading Buddies Literacy Program. These three students developed an early love for music when they started performing together as members of the Dorothy Gerber Strings Youth Orchestra during elementary school.

The Lions of Michigan All State Band's motto is "We Serve Through Music" and as a service organization, performs for children's hospitals, veteran homes, schools, and other places where music can help brighten days and bring smiles. As members of the Lions of Michigan All-State Band, Calista, Patrick, and Jürgen will represent the state of Michigan and the United States of America at the 106th annual Lions Clubs International Convention in Melbourne, Australia. They are proud to be chosen to represent Northern Michigan during this summer's Lions International Parade of Nations, which boasts more than 10,000 delegates, where they will be performing with over 100 other Lions Club bands from around the globe. In addition to playing in the parade, the Lions of Michigan All-State Band is scheduled to perform at the Children's Hospital in Melbourne, the Primary School, and The Australian Football League game. And they don't stop there, as they also anticipate performing on their return trip through California at Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood to round out their 11-day tour.

The road to Australia is a long one, filled with many hours of practice on their own, leading up to the weeklong "boot camp," with practices running from dawn until dusk as their final preparation before boarding the plane to the Lions International Convention. But this hard work will be worth the effort as not only will they meet many talented musicians from around the world, building lifelong friendships, they will also be developing a better social and cultural understanding while increasing their appreciation of the vast, diverse world they live in through visiting the Melbourne and San Francisco areas, taking in the local sites and experiencing the trip of a lifetime.

Band members are responsible for paying their own trip fee. The total trip cost is $6,299 for each musician and includes all transportation, meals, lodging, and uniforms.

Lions Clubs International founder Melvin Jones, from Fort Thomas, Arizona, wrote in 1927 that "music, both vocal and instrumental, has a wonderful effect for good. In it there is harmony; and whether or not we realize it, harmony winds itself into our very souls; and you cannot have discord in souls filled with harmony."

Please consider supporting these talented musicians to expand their horizons and serve through music.

Thank you in advance for your financial contributions.