Talkeetna has been putting on the Mother’s Day concert for over 25 years. According to Denali Arts Council Music Academy Director Sandy Shoulders, the event is a chance for various local musical groups to come together and show people what they’ve been working on. This year, there are around 50 participants in the concert, including a beginner string orchestra, a local choir, and a local ensemble.
“Part of this grew up around my mother’s visits here for about thirty years,” Shoulders explained, “She would come every year[…] it almost always encompassed Mother’s Day.”
As such, preparing these concerts has been a personal, family-driven activity.
Shoulder said it is particularly inspiring to see the musicians preparing for the concert.
“All these musicians are volunteers,” she said, “They meet once a week for rehearsal, which is either an hour or two hours[…] it’s just phenomenal with this many people how they’re just organizing themselves to push forward and learn [the music].”
She added that the concert provides the opportunity for people to come together to celebrate family and community.
“It’s your friends and neighbors, and this is what they’re doing,” she said, “It’s peaceful. It’s camaraderie. It’s community coming together both in the audience and on the stage.”
Shoulders said the concert is free and hopes the audience will be inspired to connect more with music.
The free event takes place at the Sheldon Community Arts Hangar this Sunday.
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