I would like to draw attention to the work of Roger Pawley for the Snohomish County Music Project. I’m the Mariner High School FA/PE Dance Program teacher and I’ve just completed our 2012 Spring Gala charity benefit in the SCMP facility.
Over the years, my greatest challenge in producing the gala has been finding a location to support the show’s theatrical and athletic requirements, the cast of 110 students, and our limited budget. This past October, when I was struggling to find just such a venue, a good Samaritan directed me to the SCMP website (www.scmusicproject.org/#!about). Roger answered my request and ever since, I have been encouraged and humbled by his work and service.
The SCMP is located inside the old theater at the Everett Mall. The mall leased the ailing space to the SCMP for $1. Building on that act of generosity, Roger — providing leadership to the project through a labor of love for his community and the arts — along with the SCMP board of directors, revived the three old theaters from broken, empty spaces to bright, intimate performance halls. On a shoestring budget and the occasional equipment donation the SCMP has rehabilitated every aspect (lighting, sound, seating, stage space, etc.).
But for Roger and the SCMP, the restoration project reaches deeper than just the space. Their mission is to advocate for music education, to use music as medicine for at-risk youth, veterans and people suffering from neurological disorders, and to promote artistic citizenship by assisting organizations who perform for a cause — like us. As a representative of the SCMP, Roger is an agent of positive change in our community and as such has spoken the actions of courage and generosity into the hearts of 110 Everett area teens.
Anna Huber
Mariner High School Dance
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