January 10, 2014 at 4:11 p.m.
Arts to take center stage at Green Tie Gala
Arts to take center stage at Green Tie Gala
This year's gala promises to shake things up a bit. In years past, the event revolved around a prominent alumnus who would offer remarks. This time around, the spotlight will shine on the importance of arts education, and several alumni of the music department will provide the night's entertainment.
Vice president of the Hodag Schools Foundation Sue Makris said she looks forward to the Green Tie Gala all year long.
"In the past, we've had some fabulous guest alumni speakers," she said. "Former Hodags who have made great achievements in their lives have taken the time to speak. There have been a number of people who have taken the education they've experienced and gone on to make an incredible impact in their professions."
This year, the alumnus asked to speak would rather let his checkbook do the talking and is matching all the money raised during the night. Because there won't be a headlining speech, Makris jumped at the chance to shake things up.
"We looked into a format that doesn't involve a speaker," she said. "The alumnus was very involved in the arts. It was a great time to try something new and everything fell into place."
While the Green Tie Gala is seeing a number a firsts, so is the Hodag Schools Foundation, including a brand new identity. The group is made up of two former organizations, the Hodag Facilities Foundation and the Rhinelander Schools Education Foundation.
"We had two separate organizations raising funds for the school district," Makris said. "Some of us were on the board for both groups and some of our donors didn't even know there was a difference. When the Hodag Facilities Foundation raised such an incredible amount of money, over a million dollars, we realized there were needs outside of just facilities and we wanted to work together for the betterment of the Rhinelander school district."
This year's gala is planned to showcase the importance of arts education. To help with that task, they've arranged for a number of alumni and even current Hodags to perform.
The RHS Green Shades Jazz Ensemble will play with alumni guest performer Mark Piasecki and Holly Spiegelhoff will perform piano selections during the cocktail reception. The Dixie Six and Scott Kirby will play after the piano selections. To cap off the night, Tolerance will play from 8:30 to 11: 30 p.m.
Piasecki said he's excited to play with the high school students.
"The high school jazz ensemble contacted me to be a part of this," he said. "I'm a freelance saxophonist, and one of the things I've done in recent years is donate my time a couple mornings a week during the school year to work with the group. This is something I just enjoy doing and it's my way of giving back to the community. Because I work with the group and am a 1979 RHS graduate, the thought came up that perhaps I could do a feature with the group. We have a couple players who can't make it, so I work as a quick fill-in too."
Makris said the foundation pulled out all the stops for this year's gala because it's an important cause.
"There is documented evidence that shows there's a direct correlation between academic achievement and participation in the arts, particularly music," she said. "I was talking with Buck Kipper who is one of the alumni who will be entertaining us at the gala. While this wasn't an issue for him, a lot of people don't find their niche until they get involved in music. It's something people can carry through life."
Piasecki said music is one of the most important parts of his life. He knows how important it can be to high school students and said it's played a pivotal role in his life.
"In short, I will say that playing in a musical ensemble incorporates more aspects of the brain than just about any physical or mental exercise you can do," he said. "It's great to have meat and potatoes in your diet, but you need some fruits and vegetables too. That's how I see the arts and I think they're crucial."
Piasecki earned a degree in music and then spent a number of years as an active freelancer in the Milwaukee area, playing with high profile acts like Frank Sinatra Jr. These days, he's gets a greater thrill from teaching where his own musical education began years ago.
"Early on, I had a physical ailment that kept me out of sports, so I ended up joining band," he said. "I really enjoyed it and excelled at it. We had some great musicians at the time, so there was some good competition in the room. I've done a lot of private shows and commercial recordings over the years, by my emphasis now is working with young musicians. I get more joy out of that than anything. They're such voracious learners and that's what makes it fun."
The event is open to the public and tickets cost $40 per person. All proceeds raised go directly to the foundation and classroom initiatives.
Reservations can be made by calling (715) 369-2875 on or before Monday, Jan. 13.
Andy Hildebrand may be reached at [email protected].
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