HARMONIOUS GATHERING: Art in the Park debuts as music fundraiser

A booster club has been formed to aid the Pahrump Valley High School music department and the boosters will be holding its first fundraiser on April 18 called “Music and Art in the Park.”

Deanna Sistrunk, the president of the booster club, said from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Ian Deutch Park there will be music, food and art being displayed for families to enjoy. She said the whole purpose of the event is to let the public know about all the great things the music and art department are doing at the high school. The funds raised by this event will go to the music department at the high school.

“We want to show the community that these kids are really into music,” Sistrunk said. “We are trying to get the public behind them so the department can afford uniforms and instruments. Also the money is used to compete with other regional choirs and bands.

Sistrunk says she is the volunteer assistant to PVHS Music Director Eric Kunzi. She said this was the first year that the music boosters were able to come together to put on a fundraiser.

“We have been trying to do this for the past three years,” she said. “In the past we just didn’t have enough parents to put something like this on. Now we do.”

Of course she said they are always looking for more.

For the event two bands in addition to the high school band and choirs will be performing.

Sistrunk said the high school has a mixed choir and a select choir and the band has a beginning band and advanced band.

“We are trying to get more bands to come out,” she said. “We are charging bands $20 per 30-minute sets.”

In addition to the bands, she said there will be people displaying art, and craft vendors will also be coming out and besides the high school there will be students from middle school and the elementary school performing.

According to Deanna Sistrunk all the funds raised will go to getting the band new uniforms, new instruments, to get new music for the band and choirs. The program has no money to buy any of this.

There have been four businesses that have been instrumental in getting this fundraiser off the ground. The two big sponsors are Saitta Trudeau and Pahrump Valley Auto Plaza. The two small business sponsors are Snowden’s Landscape Company and P-Town Air Inc.

There are also a lot of other small businesses that have donated, Affiliated Physical Therapy, Quality Auto Repair and Ignition Motor Sports. The list was long and she apologized for leaving anyone out.

According to the booster club, the uniforms the band now wears were donated by another high school.

“Many of the uniforms still have the other high school’s emblem still on them,” Sistrunk said. “There are still kids who are in the band and don’t even have an instrument.”

This has been an ongoing problem for the music department at the high school now as the budget shrinks.

Rachel Sistrunk, Deanna’s daughter, said the high school has been practicing for this event since Christmas. She said the choir will be singing some patriotic songs in honor of the military. Rachel Sistrunk is a senior and has been with the choir for the past four years and has been singing since elementary school too. She said when she sings it is one of the few things where she feels accomplished.

“Singing is the one thing that I am good at and it’s the one thing where my learning disability does not show up,” she said.

The young singer says she hopes the funds raised can buy some new concert wear for the choirs. At the moment each of the choir members provide their own choir attire and oftentimes the students don’t match.

She also said like the band, the choir is in dire need of new music. Every time music is purchased the band must pay a license fee and this is the big cost associated with buying the music.

Deanna Sistrunk says that any and all donations of cash, goods or services can be used.