The Barton Community College Music Department will host the Endowment Concert, a fundraiser for music student scholarships, at 7:30 p.m. May 3 in the Fine Arts Auditorium. Attendees are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance. Visit shows.bartonccc.edu for tickets and live-stream information. All proceeds go to the Music Endowment Scholarship fund. Donations will also be accepted at the door. 

The concert will feature the Concert Choir, Hilltop Singers, Dolce, DaCapo, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, and Barton’s rock band “The Riff.” Various soloists and duos from the studios of Jessica Perez, Karole Erikson and Dr. Luis Palacios will also be featured.

Vocal Instructor Jessica Perez, who was once a music student at Barton and personally benefited from scholarships, said she encourages people to donate if they are able. 

“Many students are only able to graduate from Barton because of the generosity of such donors and the Foundation. As an alumnus, I reflect now on how these scholarships were essential for me and my education. I could not have done it if it wasn’t for the donors. Now, I am happy to give back a little as a professor teaching here.”

Director of Instrumental Activities Dr. Luis Palacios said in addition to being a very important fundraising event, it is also a much-needed celebration of all the musicians’ efforts. 

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our community to support these talented young musicians,” he said. “Our students have worked diligently amidst the pandemic to continue the arts and have demonstrated both leadership and courage within the college and greater community. This will be a fun evening that you won’t want to miss.”

The endowment started in 1998 with the help of the Barton Foundation and has since helped numerous students participate in music at Barton. The Endowment Concert also helps benefit a program, which began in 2017, to provide tuition and fees scholarships to high school juniors and seniors who enroll in voice, piano or instrumental lessons.