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The Shelby Alumni Marching Band performs at Electric Forest.
– Contributed photo
When local students returned to school this fall, they discovered some new band and music equipment.
Since 2008, the four-day summer festival draws tens of thousands visitors from across the nation and beyond to experience a unique blend of art, music, and nature at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury.
“As the Electric Forest Festival continues to grow, so does its charitable reach across Oceana County,” states a press release from the Oceana Community Foundation.
“The Music in Schools Program, now in its seventh year, supports music in Oceana County public schools. Its goal is to make music education accessible for area students, and that impact continues to expand. Inspired by Electric Forest’s seed grant of $10,000, nine more foundation funders contributed matching funds that have quadrupled this year for a $40,000 investment in music education. These contributors included Little Point Sable Arts Fund, David P Markiewicz Memorial Fund, Carnes Family Fund for Music Arts Camp, Patrick ‘Rick’ Aerts Band and Music Therapy Fund, Happy Farmers Art of Living Fund, Malcolm ‘Pete’ Wood Memorial Fund, Randall and Linda Wagner Family Fund, Edward and Evelyn Kolbe Family Fund and the JT Sackett Memorial Fund.”
This year, the program supported all requests from Hart, Hesperia, Shelby, Walkerville and Montague programs.
“This generous financial support is making a lasting difference — providing schools with new instruments, sound systems, recording equipment and more,” states the press release. “At Walkerville Public Schools, this has paved the way to relaunch the middle school band for the 2025–26 school year and continue growing the elementary music program, which returned in January 2024 after a five-year hiatus. The revival of music and band is more than a program restart — it’s a powerful investment in creativity, learning, and student engagement.
“This summer, the Electric Forest Charitable Fund awarded $20,000 in grants, including another $10,000 earmarked for its Music in Schools program. Continuing its commitment to uplifting local communities, Electric Forest also provided four grants to support community, arts, music and preservation.
“The Electric Forest Charitable Fund also places strong emphasis on preserving and promoting the arts and natural environment in our communities. The fund awarded $8,000 through the foundation’s community grant round to support projects that creatively blend art and nature — including a mural in the Village of Hesperia, beach restoration in Pentwater Township, and the removal of invasive species at the Walkerville Women and Girls Camp. A community support grant was awarded to the Oceana Community Foundation to help sustain daily operations and expand its impact across the region.”
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