Do You Know about Outreach?

One of the wonderful things about Bluemont (and not just Bluemont in Ashland but Bluemont in all communities!) is the Outreach Program. Prior to each concert on the lawn, our performer or band for the evening spends time at a senior center or assisted living facility, playing for those in our community who otherwise would not be able to attend the concert.  Paige Christy, a Bluemont in Ashland volunteer since the beginning seven years ago, coordinates the outreach programs and loves doing it (not to mention she is fabulous at it!). Our performers spend about thirty minutes sharing their music and then interacting with the residents. We've heard that the residents enjoy the performances, even for weeks following! This week, Black Sheep will be performing at Omni Park Senior Center. Thanks Black Sheep!

2012 banner for Bluemont in Ashland!

Thanks to the Town of Ashland and our friend Bill Artiglia for our amazing new 2012 Bluemont in Ashland banner! Look for yourself on the lawn of the Hanover Arts and Activities Center when you come to our first concert of the summer this Sunday, August 5!

our first concert for 2012 is one week from tomorrow!! yippee!

We're always so excited about Bluemont summers in Ashland and even more when it's so close to the first one. Here's a little preview of our first band, Black Sheep! Then come on down to the Hanover Arts and Activities Center and see them live under the stars!

http://blacksheepreggaeband.com/

our gorgeous summer concert poster!

     
                                                                     see you soon!

Our 2012 Publicity Team is on the move!

A very special thanks to Kate and Raelynn (you can see their photo on our Facebook page!) for distributing posters and flyers to many Ashland businesses this morning.
Thank you also to the following Ashland businesses for supporting our 8th summer of concerts:

Trackside Grill                                                 

Iron Horse Restaurant

Mac's Service Station                                     

Pepicelli's Pizza

Gallery Flux                                                      

Luck Chevrolet

Jessica Robertson Photography                    

Ashland Veterinary Hospital

Thrill of the Hunt                                            

AC Tire

Hickory Creek Antiques                                

Sherwin Williams

Ashland Ace Hardware                                

Brick Oven Pizza

Indulgence Salon

Ashland Starbucks

El Azteca 

Auto Zone

Ashland Coffee and Tea

Hometown Realty

Cross Brothers Grocery

Ashland Library

Caboose Wine and Cheese

Train Town Toy and Hobby

Flower Depot                                   

Get Ready Ashland for Season 8 2012....  So excited for these wonderful bands!!!  More details coming soon! 

Sunday, August 5  Blacksheep   

Sunday, August 12  The Guy Mendilow Band

Sunday, August 19  King Teddy

Sunday, August 26  Pan Masters

2011 first summer concert is tonight!

Come down to the lawn of The Hanover Arts and Activities Center tonight for the first concert of the 2011 summer series!  Our special guest, The Hanover Concert Band will be opening at 5:30 so bring a picnic dinner and come early to hear the wonderful sounds of big band music!  Then at 7:00 The Flaming Shillelaghs start off our wonderful summer concert series under the stars!
From the Bluemont website:
The Flaming Shillelaghs first performed for the Bluemont Concert Series in the 1980s for First Night Leesburg. Since then, they have delighted audiences with their spirited renditions of traditional Irish dance music, haunting ballads and infectious humor.  The Flaming Shillelaghs are Jesse Winch on guitar, bodhran, and harmonica, Joe DeZarn, fiddle, Tina Eck, flute and whistles, and Melissa Dunning on vocals. Their performance will also feature traditional Irish step-dancing. They’re multi-talented, multi-instrumentalists who never let a good tune or song get by them.


See you tonight!  We can't wait!!!

Only Four More Sundays!

Jen and I are busy working behind the scenes along with several other amazing volunteers- we're so excited for the beginning of our concert season which is only four weeks away!  We've been handing out flyers, looking for evening sponsors, coordinating outreach and community groups and fundraising.  Special thanks to Annette Ardler, Carolyn Peart, Paige Christy and Noelle Lavach for help with all of those areas.  There's SO much more to do! We'd love your help spreading the word- sending your friends a link to this blog or our Facebook page or copying and distributing flyers.  Let us know if you can help! We'd love it and really appreciate it! send an e-mail to Elizabeth: bigblackdog@me.com   Thanks!!

2011 Summer Concerts! oh boy!

I'm so excited- my fingers are flying across the keys!  Our seventh summer of music- just the thought of bare feet in the grass, dancing and listening to live music under the stars- makes my heart skip a beat!  Beginning on the first Sunday evening in August and each Sunday evening following, bring your friends, your family and your neighbors down to the lawn of the Hanover Arts and Activities Center at 7:00 for the best thing about summer in Ashland! More details to follow so come back and visit our blog often! See you there!

The 5th and last concert of the Bluemont in Ashland Summer Concert Series

Wow- just looking at the title of this post makes me sad- it's been the most amazing month of music! However, this Sunday will surely be a wonderful way to end the 6th season of Bluemont in Ashland- Eric Brace and Peter Cooper will be playing along with friends from Last Train Home.  Eric and Peter as well as Last Train Home play often in Ashland and always deliver a terrific show.  To find out more about them, visit www.redbeetrecords.com - you can listen to a little music and even order a CD if you like.

Bring lots of friends and family and help make this last concert the best one yet! We'll have amazing door prizes and yummy treats for sale from the John M. Gandy PTA, CJ's Thumbs Up Foundation and the Knights of Columbus.

Hope to see you on the lawn!

We really need your help!

Truly, we are in danger of losing Bluemont in Ashland because of the significant cuts in funding from grants at the state and federal level. Each summer, the situation grows more dire and we really need your help!  Did you know that your $5 admission goes directly to our Artists-In-Education program? It's what helps to bring the performers to our local schools so that our children can enjoy Bluemont performers at a reduced cost. So, how are the performers paid you might wonder? Through memberships and sponsors- most bands cost at least $1,500 per performance with well known groups costing twice that- that doesn't even account for the salaries of those that work tirelessly in the Bluemont office, travel to and from the concerts setting up, running sound and scheduling performers.  We need your help! We can't imagine a summer without Bluemont on the lawn. Have you joined Bluemont yet? Has your company sponsored an evening concert? Do you know someone who can help? Please let us know.  Our local businesses are helping as much as they can and we are so grateful- most are small and are always asked by local groups to donate in one way or another- I just know that there are other ways and other businesses that can join us in our efforts to keep Bluemont in Ashland-can you help?
Click here to join today!