PSMA held it’s 5th Annual Adopt a Music Student Benefit Friday and Saturday September 17 & 18 at Ted Calentino’s Irish Brew Pub & Grille. On hand were some of Pueblo’s top bands that unselfishly donated their talents and time to raise money to buy instruments for under privileged children in our area. Instruments for aspiring Children in the surrounding school districts to further their education and interest in the performance arts.  
 Learning a musical instrument provides many building blocks for growth such as patience, discipline, eye-hand coordination, facilitating higher learning areas in the brain, the ability to communicate and work within a structured environment, and develop the skill of group participation. These are all admiral qualities to offer a young mind. A musical instrument can be a rewarding experience and a safety net for youths that are searching for a role or purpose in this confusing time of adolescence. Perhaps an avenue of self-expression that might help avoid drugs, gang activity, behavioral problems, depression and suicidal tendencies that plague our future generation.   
 PSMA’s Adopt a Music Student Program is a good and worthwhile effort that offers Pueblo’s community members a chance with the help and guidance of it’s own. That is why I get irritated at the low turnout, that more don’t come forth and participate in this honorable task. I wonder maybe, the article in the Chieftain wasn’t noticeable and may have been overshadowed by drinking and eating at the Octoberfest at the Union Depot or maybe we are catering to the wrong crowd, in wrong place, at the wrong time of day. After all this is a benefit for children so we might want to have children join in and their parents come see them. As I observed the proceedings Friday night, I couldn’t help notice we had mostly hard rock bands performing and their immediate friends in the audience to support them. It is located at a bar, so, do parents want to come to a bar with their kids at night? Maybe we need a nice sunny afternoon in a park or riverwalk under a gazebo with a group of young brass and woodwind students showing what they have been working on for the last semester at school. With benches and a grassy knoll filled with parents, siblings and grandparents all there, to gloat over little Johnny and Susies accomplishments. “Seeing is believing”, and what better way of persuading people with money to donate it, then to spark their imagination of their own progeny’s potential. 
 A re-assessment of planning procedures may have to be implemented in order to make this event more successful. A proper campaign of advertising giving it a higher profile, with the emphasis on children involvement rather than professional rock bands. We as an association need to be more economic with our energies; after all we are volunteering our time and energies for the love of it, so why work any harder than necessary.  
This campaign should be taken to the schools to promote their involvement; after all they benefit too. More instruments, bigger band, more demand on teacher involvement and hence, more interest from parents. If music departments were as popular as sports departments there would, for certain, be more money. What a concept!  The instruments that we provide end up in the district schools, so it seems logical to try and get the districts involved. Administrators would benefit from the exposure they would receive from our events. There schools would be highlighted and they could profess to fostering the “No Child Left Behind” motto so popular in the Bush campaign.  
 As president of PSMA I’m in no way de-emphasizing the accomplishments or dishing out a scathing critique of our Association, but simply pointing out more productive ways of accomplishing our goal. There demands guidance and a path so that the Board of Directors eliminates spinning its wheels unnecessarily. At present we are solidifying the adoption of a committee just for that purpose. An Adopt a Music Student Program committee, addressing the special needs for this event and future growth of this program.  
 You learn from each event, finding out what works and what does not. There is a learning curve for volunteers, that is different, than that of paid employees. We avoid creating more work but unfortunately there is more work, exponentially with the more people that get involved.  
 Ray as usual is early and fine-tuning the room for the night. We have Steve Parke, Dave Gouge and Rick Black manning the Front door and Franky Deck, Chad Wilson, Bob Villalon, Ron Passero, Donovan McNeilly and Elvin Martinez rotating shifts on the back door. I am handling the host and ticket raffle duties. Hope, who is on kitchen staff there at the Irish Pub, prepared the buffet, for the event, of tacos, Spanish rice and frijoles.  
 Friday nights line-up begins with Hideaway Folk Family consisting of M. A. Christian and his wife Destiny, doing avauntguard acoustic original material. The night proceeds with Silver Eagle Band doing there versions of some classic and contemporary country along with mixing in a few of their originals off their latest CD. It’s always a pleasure to hear Dennis Perrino sing. I think Ted Calentino thought so too, for he was sitting in the back having a listen. Thirteen Six was up next with Pueblo drummer Tom Wolf banging out original hard rock numbers. Faded and Rumor Hazit did not fail to please the crowd with heavy voluminous guitar oriented numbers. Danny Guido brought back Beloved Band and rose the level of spiritual excitement. The evening came to a close with Robert Cooper’s No Name Band riffing from one fun tune to the next with Richard Tanner, from Rumor Hazit, sitting in on bass for the set.  
 Saturday night began with an emergency PSMA board meeting for the purpose of approving a dozen or so applications for Adopt A Music Student instruments. The board was also informed that Dan Lazzarini donated a flute to our organization for a student’s use. That led to a discussion about how many instruments are lying dormant in closets all over Pueblo and how can we get the word out that we can put those instruments to good use.  I expressed my views about possible improvements on further Adopt a Music Student Benefits and there seemed to be much consensus on the subject.  
 With everyone at their stations the music began. Family Juls, (Franky DeJoy and Juls Bayci) had the first slot, Wayne Ingleton on drums, along with myself on bass, back them on their set of originals and cover songs. I caught Pueblo Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Rod Slyhoff in the audience enjoying some tunes. Also veteran blues man, Frankie Lee stopped in from his engagement next door at Smitty’s Greenlight Tavern. He and Dan Treanor just signed a contract with Northern Blues; one of the world’s premiers blues labels for a CD. I got a chance to chat with him about California of all things. The next group was Trailer 77 headed by Nate Valdez-singer/songwriter/guitarist, playing a nice set with the first set of groupies for the night. The name of the group comes from a relocation of rehearsal space, which ended up being a trailer with the number 77 on it. These young musicians, all in their mid teens, joined PSMA this summer and drove all the way from Las Animas, Colorado to perform at this benefit!.  
 Pseudo U took the stage and bashed out some great punk with spiked Mohawks and all. In the audience to my surprise was Debbie Rose, Director, District 5, member of District #70 School Board. King Slender managed to get all their techno equipment and members on stage and executed a wonderful set of songs with horn arrangement and a hot band sound. 2nd Street Revue, with all it members fit snugly on stage and let loose with their brand of variety cover material with an occasional original thrown in for good measure. Blue Suburban delivered up their original set and added two new songs to the mix. Last on the bill was Inaiah Lujan’s "A Poor Substitute Band." They unleashed their treasure chest of frenetic punk pop originals to a small but energetic group of followers who thrashed about at the front of the stage. All the acts were well above standard and helped make this benefit a success. Approximately $816.10 was raised in the two days for the Program.   
 Like any organization that relies on volunteers to keep its wheels turning, I can’t emphasize enough how valuable they are. Again, thank you to all the bands that played, with out you it would not be possible. Also, it goes without saying, but I’ll say it again, Mr. Ray Bolte is absolutely invaluable in his dedication to this association. His equipment, time and expertise have risen this association up to a much higher level that it otherwise may not have achieved.  

Peter Burg - President  

Peter Burg Hosting 2004

Peter Burg & Blue Suburban, 2004