The Gloucester Student Band later this month will embark on its third annual summer tour through New Hampshire’s White Mountains, featuring six performances over three days.
Among the tour highlights, the student band will perform Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” aboard the Mount Washington Cog Railway and Imagine Dragons’ “On Top of the World” at the summit of Mount Washington.
To help make the tour possible, the band is holding a community fundraiser this Wednesday, Aug. 19, when the band will host a tour kick-off concert featuring Reset Button Brass Band at The Cut Live in Gloucester. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., Gloucester Student Band performs at 6 p.m., and Reset Button takes the stage at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at thecutlive.com with a portion of the proceeds donated to the band.
Director Jamie Green Klopotoski founded the Gloucester Student Band to give students opportunities such as this tour, which helps build both community and musicianship.
“The students get to grow as musicians, spend time together as a band, and experience what it’s like to take their music out into new communities,” she said.
A group of 32 student musicians and 11 adult chaperones will leave Gloucester on Sunday, Aug. 23. The tour begins with performances in Berlin, New Hampshire, at the St. Vincent de Paul Nursing Center and North Country Bowling Center.
The day after, the band heads to the Mount Washington Cog Railway before performing that evening at Flatbread Pizza Company in North Conway. The tour concludes Tuesday with performances at Story Land and Living Shores Aquarium in Glen. The band will stay overnight at the Horton Center Camp and Retreat Center on Pine Mountain.
Donations toward tour expenses also can be made at www.gloucesterstudentband.com/donate.
Gloucester Student Band is a volunteer-led nonprofit ensemble for student musicians in grades 4–12, operating independently from school music programs. The band provides young musicians with opportunities to develop their musical abilities outside of school while sharing their love of music with communities throughout the North Shore and beyond, Klopotoski said.
The band has previously performed at the Annisquam Fourth of July Bike Parade, Lobster Trap Tree Lighting, Salem Arts Festival, Gloucester 400+ New Year’s Eve Ball Drop at City Hall, Worcester Red Sox (WooSox) baseball games and at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire.
More about the Gloucester Student Band may be learned by visiting www.gloucesterstudentband.com or contacting Klopotoski at gloucesterstudentband@gmail.com, or 978-761-5959.
Gail McCarthy may be contacted at 978-675-2706, or gmccarthy@northofboston.com.