“Music makes the people come together,” so sang Madonna.
That song lyric could be about the supporters of music programs in Oakdale schools, as they will come together to raise money for the Oakdale Music Boosters at its annual dinner auction on Saturday, Nov. 6. The event starts at 5 p.m. at the Oakdale High School gym, 739 West G, where music lovers can eat a tri-tip dinner and lots of desserts, bid in a live auction, and listen to live entertainment provided by the school musicians.
This year’s event has a “Black Tie Affair” theme but it is not a black-tie event, the attire is casual, said Oakdale Music Boosters President Jeff Hood. Tax-deductible tickets are $20 each and are available through Oakdale Joint Unified School District music students in seventh through 12th grades, at the school district office, or by calling (209) 681-5776.
The evening will feature the musical talents of the Oakdale High School and Oakdale Junior High School bands and choirs. A string quartet, consisting of three violin players and a cello player, will also perform at the event. The four musicians are students at the high school. Hood noted that Oakdale generally doesn’t have very many string instrument musicians, aside from those who play guitar, and said there are also two violin players currently at the junior high school.
“To have this many string players is really kind of fun,” he said.
He added that the OHS jazz band will also play a couple of different times during the evening. He made note of the dedication of those in jazz band, who take their jazz class during “zero period” at OHS, an extra-early class time.
Hood said that the dinner auction event showcases the talent of the young musicians and provides a preview of what they’ll be playing at upcoming competitions.
The dinner auction and a fireworks booth are the Oakdale Music Boosters’ primary fundraisers. Hood said they did very well by selling out their stock at the fireworks booth this summer and added that their goal is to raise at least $8,000 at the dinner auction this year.
Among the top priorities for the Music Boosters this year is to pay for instrument repairs at all grade levels, he said. Also on the list, they hope to be able to set aside a large portion of money this year to go toward the replacement of band uniforms at OHS in perhaps the next year or two. The current uniforms are over 15 years old, Hood said, have seen many repairs, and are made of wool. The downside of wool is that it is hot and requires the expense of dry cleaning. Hood said that there are some newer blended fabrics available in band uniforms now and some are machine washable. The Music Boosters also help cover unbudgeted transportation and competition costs, as well as providing scholarships to graduating seniors.
This year, there are three “conductor’s tables” at the dinner auction event, which were purchased during the live auction at last year’s event. Hood said that in the past there has usually only been one conductor’s table, so the Boosters are happy to see the extra tables this year. Attendees at the conductor’s tables are served dinner at their tables by music students, are served first, and have front row seats for choir and band performances at this event. Conductor’s tables will be auctioned off again this year for next year’s event.
Though the conductor’s tables have already been purchased for this year, Hood said that there are some other special tables of eight still available. These tables will be dismissed first for the buffet, but availability is limited. They may be purchased in advance of the Nov. 6 event for $800 per table.
