“I support this campaign because I believe that access to arts education is essential for high school students. The staff, students, and parents of JMM are incredibly committed to giving students the best arts experience possible, but it's clear that the building's limited and outdated facilities place an undue burden on the education process.”

“The arts are important for helping to create well-rounded individuals. To make sure that we can attract students to the arts, Memorial needs a new facility and more resources.”

“This is a fantastic opportunity to do something real and long-term in our frenetic world. Helping high school students and teachers in this way will benefit more people in a tangible way than much of what we do day to day. “

“Students need what we all need: a recognition that their interests, curiosities and passions, have value.”

“Performing Arts is an imperative part of school. There are so many things that benefit students and often students that otherwise wouldn't have activities to participate in. “

“The comaraderie of working with students in all grades with varying interests and skills all focused on one production at a time was such a unifying experience. It helped shape my choices in my education and my career, and instilled a curiosity and work ethic that have served me well throughout my adult life.”

“The arts embody humanity. We cannot exist as fully developed people without art and the performing arts. This is where I found my "people" and I felt success. I was barely an average student and definitely not an athlete but I belonged in choir, orchestra and theatre. Belonging somewhere is integral to education. I have not one, but two successful careers in the arts and I owe it to where I began at JMM.”

“Music education should be at the center of every school curriculum for every child. It is here that they learn about the gray areas in life. Here, where there are fewer right and wrong answers. It is here that they learn about beauty and how to create it. It is here that they are engaged in learning 100% of the time; cognitively, physically, affectively (emotionally). We can only strive to help them reach their goals. It’s up to us now.”

Regardless of whether a person decides to go on to study the arts in college or university, the arts are very important for the development of the brain and for human well-being. The added aspect of social interaction in artistic activities is also not to be ignored. Future students at JMM would be incredibly fortunate to have a state of the art facility, which can enhance their experiences.

My JMM experiences were vast and memorable. I’m wishing its Performing Arts Wing Project all the success it deserves!

We live and breathe the arts, often in ways we don't even realize.

Hi, my name is Jillian Sytsma and I’m a junior at Memorial. I perform in musicals and play the flute and piano. Memorial theater and band class are a big part of my life.

The experiences I had at JMM were formative in my choice of career path and in providing a safe and nurturing environment to develop my nascent abilities in the performing arts.

Painter Henri Matisse said, “Creativity takes courage.” My hope for the students of Memorial is that they’ll be breathtakingly courageous in their new Performing Arts space.

I revisited JMM for my 25th Anniversary . The faculty and student body is much more diverse than during my time – I felt relief and hope. The development for the athletics department is fantastically impressive – a new pool, a gymnastics facility. However, the Performance Department remained the same. A Performing Arts renovation acknowledges the JMM competitively high artistic standard being at least equivalent, if not more than, the JMM athletic standard. 

Investment in youth arts never stops paying back benefits. I know from my discussions with my peers that we all continue to benefit in countless ways from both what we learned and what we experienced in the performing arts at Memorial. The fact that we are all still in touch and cheering each other on after thirty-five years speaks volumes about the life-changing magic of what happens in that wing of the school. I encourage everyone who hopes for a richer and more fulfilling life for young people in our community today and tomorrow to support the investment needed to revitalize Memorial’s offerings and facilities for another fifty years.  

Memorial's music and theater programs completely shaped who I am. I took my training from Memorial and turned it into a successful music career…

In these very difficult times, performing arts have the capacity to empower us, foster our intellectual and creative growth, and create community. It is not a coincidence that when local arts are supported and strengthened, communities flourish

Without investments in arts education (which allows for the kind of self-growth in confidence and the ability to give and receive constructive, collaborative feedback) how can young people believe that their community values their interest in self-expression and in their growth as individuals?

Through this community, I’ve made powerful connections with my peers that go far beyond the bounds of high school band. Through this community, I’ve felt the freedom of advancing my skills in whatever way I want. Simply spending time in the band room has inspired me to pick up different instruments, and broaden my musical knowledge and ability in ways I never thought possible.