Mini Grant Success Story 2025
Creating Order from Chaos
by Sara Penny, CCAC Vice President
Putting a puzzle together is about creating order from chaos. Sometimes, an arts project feels like scattered pieces that just won’t fit—but when everything locks into place, it can be wonderful.
LuAnne Brown wanted to add a string program at the Escalante Valley Elementary in Beryl. She knew there were smaller instruments in the Dalley Collection at SUU, but they were overly loved and needed repairs.
A mini-grant from the Cedar City Arts Council helped with repairs so there is now an orchestra for the school. Special thanks to Luke and Vicky Heaton for excellent string services at Whittlesticks.
LuAnne explained how important these instruments have become for her students, "We have had some amazing students in our class, both last year and this. One boy comes to mind. He came to our school when he was in third grade. He is part of the Latin American community who are an important part of the valley. When he came to our school, he was behind academically and was extremely quiet. He has blossomed at our school, and he has blossomed in our string program. At first he was unsure about the idea of playing a violin, but then he took off. He took his violin home to practice, and he earned every available ribbon to have tied on his pegs. At the Christmas program, I put him front and center because he could play everything. Several people who attended the concert commented to me about this particular student who was doing so well. Without the Dalley collection this opportunity would probably not have come to him. I wonder if Mr. Dalley had any idea that his contribution would reach students in such a remote area and give them the opportunity to not only learn about music, but to enjoy a feeling of accomplishment and success."
She also noted that participation in the string program has helped students with their language skills.
Many puzzle pieces came together to make this music program a reality. The instruments were originally donated to SUU in 1989 by Orien Dailey. He had lived in Summit and taught in Cedar before continuing his career in Wisconsin and later at the University of Michigan. While in Michigan, he played a key role in establishing the renowned Interlochen Music Camp and early American String Teacher Association workshops.
During a visit to Cedar City to see his niece, Ada Carpenter, Dalley decided to donate his school instrument collection to SUU. This was a blessing for our family, as our two children fell in love with the cello and both switched from violin to cello thanks to access to these instruments.
In 1991, Suzuki Strings Cedar City honored Orien Dailey with a tribute concert during one of his visits. He encouraged local musicians to establish an independent orchestra separate from the university—an effort that led to the creation of the Orchestra of Southern Utah.
He also donated his extensive collection of music scores and parts to SUU’s Special Collections, where they are now cataloged and available for use.
Bringing a project like this to life takes many connected pieces, each one essential to the bigger picture.
What community art project are you interested in pursuing? Mini-grants of $500 are available from the Cedar City Arts Council. Applications are due Feb. 28. The information is in our website at cedarcityartscouncil.org under Support.
(column for the Iron County Today)
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| Christmas program 2024 at Escalante Valley Elementary School under the direction of LuAnne Brown. |
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