Americana Project students dazzle Bend concert crowd

When the lights came down at Bend's Les Schwab Amphitheater last Thursday night for the Blind Boys of Alabama concert, the Sisters High School Americana Project benefited in two ways: the event was a fund-raiser for the program; and Americana Project students got to present their music in opening the show.

The event known as the Five for Five Benefit Concert Series was sponsored by the Pronghorn Foundation that partners with the Old Mill District to provide the venue.

"The idea is that five non-profits share the proceeds from the concert, and the concert costs $5," said Americana Project Executive Director Brad Tisdel.

The five recipients this year were: The Sisters Folk Festival's Americana Project; Family Access Network (FAN); reSOURCE; Cascade Culinary Institute at Central Oregon Community College; and NeighborImpact.

Through the efforts of Tisdel working with the Pronghorn Foundation and the Old Mill District, the Sisters Americana Project students were chosen to open the show. After Americana students and Tisdel entertained for a 30-minute set, the pure gospel sounds of the Blind Boys of Alabama filled the amphitheater.

"It was a wonderful event," said Tisdel.

Americana students entertaining the some 1,200 concertgoers were: seniors Slater Smith and Jena Rickards; junior Laura Curtis; and Sisters High School 2007 graduate Travis Myrick. Travis Ehrenstrom, who also graduated in June, performed two original compositions with his band: Benji Nagel provided guitar; Justin Velso played drums; Patrick Pearsall played bass; and Seth Rodriguez contributed saxophone licks.

"All the other students, including myself, joined Travis and his band on the last song," Tisdel said.

"It was a great opportunity for the Americana students, because they were able to perform before a Grammy-winning band," said Tisdel. "They (the students) got to meet them. The Blind Boys of Alabama have been together for 65 years, and they've won four Grammies. Not only did they have the opportunity to play in front of those folks and by being involved in the performance have some mentoring from those folks, they also got to play on a beautiful, big stage in front of a lot of people with professional sound by Suntrack Sound (of Bend). It was a highly professional experience for them."

The audience was extremely appreciative of the students' performance, and questions flowed as to why this program is not in the Bend schools.

"There's a lot of interest in Bend for it to come into the high schools there, as well," said Tisdel.

According to Tisdel the program is at Summit High School and in Prineville and this year is starting at Brown Alternative School in Redmond through Tisdel's private company, Creative Educational Resources, LLC.

"It is my goal to replicate the program in these other communities while at the same time featuring the Sisters kids and the Sisters Folk Festival program, because this is the model program. It is where we started. The American Project started as the educational outreach of the Sisters Folk Festival," Tisdel said.

The Sisters Folk Festival Americana Project is in its seventh year. During that time several hundred students have taken the class and continued with music as a hobby or something more serious.

The Blind Boys of Alabama have been delighting audiences for more than 60 years. The group was originally formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in 1939. Founding members Clarence Fountain and Jimmy Carter still play with the group. In addition to their traditional soul-gospel tunes at Thursday's concert, the band incorporated more contemporary, innovative arrangements that particularly appealed to the Central Oregon audience.