From one end of Auburn Adventist Academy to Rainier Auditorium, the sound of music could be heard as more than 400 students rehearsed during the Washington Conference Music Festival in late February.
Rehearsals were packed with choir students finding their harmony together, band members finding the right tune, bell members synchronizing the beat and orchestra members fine tuning their strings to get ready for the long-awaited Music Festival concerts. Student represented Washington and Upper Columbia conferences' schools, as well as home-school students.
“I really like Music Festival because everybody and everyone [came] from Washington and the different schools so we can come together and make music and have lot of fun with it,” says Janni Blackham, student from Rogers Adventist School (College Place, Wash.) in Upper Columbia Conference. “Even though there’s a ton of practice time involved with all of this, you have time to make friends and relax. It’s really fun. I love it!”
On Sabbath afternoon, students had the opportunity to partner with World Vision, a nonprofit committed to supplying needs to impoverished areas of the world, to package school supplies for students and teachers worldwide. Out of the 120 capacity, 121 students volunteered to impact their global community in the nearby gymnasium at Buena Vista Seventh-day Adventist School.
“I’m really excited that we have this opportunity to be of service, especially on Sabbath because this is a way to be Jesus’ hands and feet and be part of something that’s bigger than ourselves,” says Melissa Morauske, teacher from Olympia (Wash.) Christian School.
“We packaged student kits for impoverished students who don’t have the resources for school and baskets for teachers who are working in areas that don’t have many resources,” explains Craig Mattson, Washington Conference vice president for education. “In all, we packaged 807 student kits, 1,200 teacher baskets and 1 ton of recyclable paper and donated over 30,000 volunteer minutes during the World Vision project.”
Washington Conference Music Festival participants perform their final concert Saturday night.
Students help package supplies for other students and teachers.
Students write encouraging notes to put in the pencil cases.
More than 100 students helped package supplies for World Vision.
Music Festival students rehearse before performance day.
Music Festival students rehearse before performance day.
Music Festival students rehearse before performance day.
Washington Conference Music Festival participants perform their final concert Saturday night.
