Verterra hosts fundraisers with acclaimed musicians

By Ross Boissoneau

Sun contributor

You never know when a good idea will come to fruition. That’s Paul Hamelin’s take on the upcoming July 27 performance by students from Interlochen Arts Camp at the Ridge at Verterra.

A longtime supporter of various charitable organizations, Hamelin and his wife Marty pondered what else they could do. The classical music enthusiasts considered the idea of music at their Verterra Winery, but not the typical singer/songwriter performers popular at many such locales. “I’m a fan of symphonic music,” Paul says, noting shows he’s seen at Ravinia and Meadowbrook, the summer homes of the Chicago Symphony and Detroit Symphony Orchestra, respectively.

Marty is a member of the Leland Women’s Civic Club (LWCC), which provides scholarships to girls graduating from Leland and Lake Leelanau St. Mary’s. Paul mentioned the concept of hosting a performance by Interlochen campers to raise scholarship funds to Terri Coyle, president of the LWCC. “I thought it was an interesting idea, students at Interlochen performing to help other students. You’ve got two organizations with something in common,” he said.

Fast forward a couple years. “Terri comes to me and says she talked to the music director. He said he’d like to try it,” Hamelin says with a laugh. Suddenly an idea had blossomed into an event, one with significance for students at three different institutions.

Coyle makes it sound simple. “Marty and Paul offered their venue for an event. Interlochen was looking for a way to get out into the community,” says Coyle. “We all met and agreed.”

The organization awards five scholarships each year. “We do different fundraisers to give back because we love Leland so much,” Coyle says. The organization has awarded 80 scholarships since the program began in 1991.

“Joy to the Music” will take place July 27 at The Ridge at Verterra beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets are $100 each, with proceeds going to the LWCC scholarship fund. Tickets include the concert, a glass of a special sparkling rosé produced by Verterra Winery dubbed “Joy,” and an array of charcuterie. Wine by the glass or bottle also will be available for purchase during the concert.

Eric Stomberg, the music director and instructor of bassoon at Interlochen Center for the Arts, says the opportunity to perform off-campus is something he is looking forward to, and he is happy to be supporting what he views as an important cause. “Most important is the cause. Providing scholarships for women to study is very important to us here. That spoke to me.

“Second is that it is a concert, not music as a background. That’s really important.”

The music will begin with a brass fanfare. Stomberg says the ensembles will include a brass quintet, a woodwind quintet and various string groups. All told, there will be some 25-plus student campers. Other Interlochen staffers will act as chaperones, and he says they may perform if needed, but the focus is squarely on the student campers.

“This will be one of the most significant outreach performances we have done with camp students in the region,” says Stomberg. “We’ll see how it goes this summer. It might be a regular event.”

For tickets and more information, visit tinyurl.com/y8avx9e8.

It’s not the only such fundraiser that will take place this summer at the venue overlooking the vineyard. Singer and songwriter Livingston Taylor will perform Aug. 13 at the Ridge at Verterra as a fundraiser for New Community Vision. It is the recently-formed non-profit looking to purchase the former Timber Shores property to preserve the majority of its 200-plus acres, including 1,800 feet of lakeshore, as a public nature preserve, while utilizing upland sections to address some of the housing issues facing the area.

While Taylor may be best known as James Taylor’s brother, he boasts a solid career of his own, with Top 40 hits “Carolina Day,” “Get Out of Bed,” “I Can Dream of You” and “Boatman” – the latter two recorded with James. He’s collaborated frequently with James and other family members, including former sister-in-law Carly Simon, along with first-call musicians such as Steve Gadd, Vince Gill, Pam Tillis, Lee Sklar, David Sanborn and others. He maintains an active career, often performing at benefits such as this, as well as teaching at Berklee College of Music.

For ticket information for the Livingston Taylor benefit concert or to donate, visit NewCommunityVision.org.