What started as six kids at Bayfield Elementary School learning orchestral music has expanded to become the largest music education program in La Plata County.
The Be FRANK Foundation now serves 186 students in Bayfield playing in orchestra or drum groups, as well as 140 students playing in seven elementary orchestras in Durango. The foundation took over the management and instruction of the after-school orchestras this fall for the 9-R School District.
Be FRANK also has added an outdoor component, Be Wild, with summer hiking and camping trips and is trying to expand into winter skiing and camping. Be FRANK, which is an acronym For the Recreational and Artistic Needs of Kids, was started in 2012 and became a non-profit foundation in 2013. The original mission was to support Lech Usinowicz, who was then the music teacher at BES, as he expanded the school's musical offerings to include an orchestra. A few years later, he became the full-time executive director of the foundation, and this fall, Karl Herr, who had been a Be FRANK board member, became the associate executive director.
At a time when many school districts are cutting arts and music programs, several have approached the local foundation asking how to replicate the group's success.
Music education is important for all children, explained the Rev. Brian Caselles, the board president. The foundation has an "everyone plays" policy, meaning no children are turned away if they can't afford tuition or instrument rentals.
Be FRANK musicians will perform tonight at the Main Mall in downtown Durango for Noel Night, then two concerts are next week at the Bayfield Performing Arts Center.
The hard work has paid off. This spring, Bayfield and Durango high school orchestral students combined to compete in Colorado Springs with other orchestras from Colorado, Texas and Kansas, receiving a superior rating and taking first place in the performance class.
The middle school drum and orchestra groups also competed, receiving superior ratings and taking first and second in their classes.
The middle school orchestra performed this year at Evenings Porch Assisted Living and the Durango Senior Center. The give-and-take between the students and senior citizens benefits both groups, Caselles said.
The outdoor programs, Be Wild, are an extension of where we live and also provide opportunities to kids who might not get outside much.
"It fits with the idea of helping us build community," Herr said.
Volunteers are needed to expand the outdoor programs, as well as support the staff and board members with administrative duties.
"Music helps me in math because I learned there isn't just one way of doing things," one student told the foundation staff.
In January, Be FRANK will offer a drum group after school in Ignacio. "We are open to expanding what we offer in Ignacio," Herr added. Another goal of the foundation is paying fair stipends to the music teachers who instruct the students.
Private lessons are also available at the foundation offices and music rooms on Clover Drive in Bayfield.
"I don't think anyone teaches as many students in the Four Corners as Be FRANK," Caselles said.
While grants pay for much of the foundation's operations, donations from the community and local businesses help pay for new instruments, instrument repair, and provide scholarships for musicians who can't afford fees and rentals. As the foundation grows, more instruments are needed, particularly for the more advanced students.
To donate, visit befrankfoundation.org or email befrankfoundation@gmail.com. Donations also may be mailed to:
Be Frank Foundation
231 S Clover Drive Suite 4
Bayfield, CO 81122
