SAVE THE DATE: Mustang Outreach Program Throws End of Summer Bash at Outer Banks Brewing Station
Outer Banks Brewing Station to Host Local Student Arts Program Performance
The Mustang Outreach Program was founded to supplement the cultural arts program in local schools with world-class music performances, residencies and mentoring programs while also providing a stage for musically gifted students to perform their self-composed works. The program, brainchild of local business owner and Mustang Music Festival Director, Mike Dianna, was formed in 2013. This year, funding from area sponsors and the addition of a formal committee comprised of local business owners, musicians and educators, has the program set for significant growth.
The concept of the program is to engage and inspire students through artist performances and workshops in Dare and Currituck County Schools this fall. Mustang Challenge winners and Festival artists, Soul House Revival, will participate as mentors in the Outreach Program. Drummer, Myles Wood, says, “We are participating because we were fortunate enough to have music included in our own education. While we all enjoyed various subjects in school, nothing was more important than discovering a passion in life. That passion, for the three of us at least, is music, and without the encouragement and preparation that we received through the programs that were offered when we were in school, we might not have pursued the fire in our bellies.”
Wood adds, “My young imagination was captivated by some truly amazing teachers growing up. They motivated me to explore the ‘magic’ that was music. As I look around at the vibrant music scene here on the Outer Banks, I see fellow band mates from high school and even further back saturating the area. Arts education goes beyond just a hobby for us. It is about translating it into a career, and it’s about inspiring that same excitement in young adults who will continue to keep it alive.”
On Sunday, August 17th, from 3-6pm, the Outer Banks Brewing Station will host the Mustang Outreach Program’s Back to School Bash in their backyard. Organizers hope to bring students, families and teachers together to educate them about what’s to come this year, while celebrating the work of the students involved in existing summer camps. The day will offer family-friendly fun and entertainment from two of the program’s student performance groups and be capped with a set by Soul House Revival. Additionally, families will be able to join in the creation of a unique Mustang Music Festival art installation which will be positioned within festival grounds at the Whalehead in Historic Corolla this October.
Students involved in the Mustang Outreach Program will work towards a performance on the Main Stage of the Mustang Music Festival on Saturday, October 11th, alongside major, award-winning, national recording artists.
“If we can make a difference in even one student’s life, then I feel that we’ve done something special here.” These words have become the mantra of Program Director, Mike Dianna.
For more information on the festival series and the Mustang Outreach Program and how you can get involved, please visit www.mustangmusicfestival.com. Guests and fans may also follow the events on social media at www.facebook.com/mmfobx, on Twitter @mmfobx, and on Instagram @mustangmusicfest.
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ABOUT THE MUSTANG FESTIVAL SERIES:
Four years ago, local OBX business owner, Mike Dianna, dreamed up a festival stating, "I want to produce a festival that musicians want to play; an event where vendors have a blast while making a profit; where sponsors not only have a fantastic time entertaining their clients, friends and families, but also leave them wanting to support the event annually; a festival where patrons and fans await the next year the moment that they step off of the site; an event which benefits one of the region's most sacred assets, the Corolla Wild Horses." This vision still holds true as the mission of the Mustang Music Festival, founded in 2010, enters its fourth year this October 10-11th, and is presented by Mike Dianna’s Grill Room and Saga Construction and Development.
