POMS Pop-Up Music: A Summer Success!

September 15, 2020
BHS junior Colin O’Toole led Monday’s quartet on trumpet, with music faculty Jim Felker on drums, Katrina Faulstich on keyboard, and Evan Grunwald on bass. The concert took place in the circle outside the yellow Town Center building on Mudge Way. Click to view a larger image

 

If you were near the Town Center complex in the late morning this past Monday, you may have heard the dulcet tones of a jazz quartet.

BHS junior Colin O’Toole led the group on trumpet, with music faculty Jim Felker on drums, Katrina Faulstich on keyboard, and Evan Grunwald on bass. Town staff, along with nearby neighbors and a few curious families who headed over from the Tot Lot playground, enjoyed fifteen minutes of jazz standards in the bright September sunshine.

Monday’s concert was one of fifteen Pop-Up Music events in August and September coordinated by Bedford Patrons of Music Students (POMS). Five different groups comprised of fourteen student musicians performed all over Bedford, from backyards to driveways to front lawns.

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“I jumped at the chance to sponsor a Pop-Up Music concert, after hearing about how wonderful they are (and getting a little jealous)!” Town Manager Sarah Stanton said. “It’s a win-win: supporting this creative fundraising campaign while giving Town employees a chance to get some fresh air and safely enjoy music by our talented students and faculty.”

Members of the public could register to bring Pop-Up Music to their home or neighborhood on a date of their choice, with a suggested donation. At each event, a representative from the POMS board was on hand to introduce the performers and talk about the organization. Attendees followed all public-health directives, wearing masks and staying at a safe distance from each other and the performers.

POMS is the music booster organization for all four Bedford public schools, distributing funds in the form of teacher stipends, classroom wish-list grants, and student scholarships. Pop-Up Music was conceived as a fundraiser to make up for some of the lost revenue from football, Bedford Day, and musical concessions, which make up the bulk of POMS’s fundraising efforts each year.

Pop-Up Music was a win-win-win during a most unusual summer: student musicians got
the opportunity to perform in public; neighbors and friends were able to gather safely to share each other’s company; and POMS raised money to help continue its mission to support music in our schools. As of this writing, the Pop-Up events have raised more than $2500, which covers the costs of this fall’s teacher stipends and puts a dent in the needed funds for next spring’s student scholarships.

POMS offers thanks to all its Pop-Up performers: Felicity Baron ’30, Layla Brown ’24, Mary Couvee ’22, Katrina Faulstich, Jim Felker, Evan Grunwald, Prakhar Gupta ’22, Elise Harfield ’22, Micah Harfield ’24, Ethan Lee ’22, Christina Kolak ’24, Caroline Liu ’24, Hayden McAllister ’24, Maddie McAllister ’22, Colin O’Toole ’22, Kaylyn Sethakosee ’24, and Andy Zhou ’22.

A short selection of images from this summer’s pop-up concerts

For more information about POMS, visit www.bedfordpoms.org.

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