The Busy Bee.  The audience was all the 3 rd graders in Craven County and Jones County public schools.With major support from the Craven Arts Council’s Grassroots Arts Funding Program, Craven Concerts sponsored an entertaining and educational performance of the children’s operetta, the "Busy Bee".

We are grateful for support for our “Bring the Magic of Live Music to School Children outreach program” from the Richard Chapman Cleve Fund of the Craven County community Foundation, an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation. Receiving the Check are Paul Hill, Treasurer and Elga Joffee, Grant Writer for Craven Concerts.The check received was for $2000 to be used for Outreach to the students of Craven County and Jones County.

Opera Express presented the "Tortoise and the Hare", an opera based on a children’s story to the delight of the audience. This may be the only time that these children may have the opportunity to view and interact with an opera company. This is a multifaceted educational experience for the children, who have read the story, interact during the opera then follow-up with writing about it.

Alina wowed the audience of Craven County Public School 5th graders from Arthur Edwards Elementary , W.J.Gurganus Elementary, Graham A. Barden Elementary and Havelock Elementary (approximately 500 attendees) as well as another 125 High School Band and Chorus members. They were amazed and mesmerized and now many of them are asking rigorous questions about how the songs they study in class have different stories and musical elements. She truly sparked some excitement in young children learning an instrument, especially the piano. Not a sound was heard during the performance until they were asked to sing the song they had been taught in preparation for this event to her accompaniment.They had never heard anyone play like Alina live and it truly took them by surprise. Our goal is to provide this level of expert performance to as many of the children in Craven County as possible. The grants and donations we receive make events such as this possible. Items.

Many students are already learning to play an instrument in school, a skill that will help enrich their lives. For many students, renting or purchasing an instrument is unaffordable. You, your family or your friends might be able to help a student. If you have an instrument gathering dust in a closet or in the attic, consider donating it through Craven Concerts to a student who otherwise would never have the opportunity to play. We then take the instrument to Fuller’s Music for an appraisal and estimate of the cost to refurbish it. We will provide you a written estimate of its worth for tax purposes. The instrument is tuned, polished, and brought back to life, using the funds from the above grants. It is then donated to the Craven County School system for student use.  The school determines the deserving child who receives the instrument.  

Instruments to be donated may be dropped off at Mitchell's Hardware, Craven County Board of Education, River Bend Town Hall, Realo in Bridgeton and Fuller Music. We have had 31 band instruments donated as of April 1, 2017.

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If you have an instrument to donate, please call (252)637-1119 and leave a message, or if you have any questions about the program you may call Irv Joffee at 772-8142.

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