On Saturday night, local high school students showcased their talents to raise money for underfunded music programs in public schools throughout Washington.
Music Aid Northwest (MANW) marked its 13th annual Play it Forward gala at The Triple Door in Seattle. This year’s fundraiser brought in $250,565 to help cover the costs of instruments and to keep music courses alive.
“The money that we give is for what teachers request, so it’s a direct correlation to what they really need and how they can build up their music programs,” said Shelley Tomburg, the Director of Development.
Over the years, MANW has raised $1.78 million to support hundreds of underfunded music classrooms throughout the state.
“Investing in this way, it really is investing in our future,” Tomburg added.
Saturday’s performances included the Decatur High School Jazztet from Federal Way and Mariachi del Pacifica, a student-led club at Pacific Lutheran University.
“To me music is just like, it’s part of my soul,” said Curtis Swanson, a senior at Decatur High.
Swanson play the trumpet as part of the Decatur High School Jazztet.
“ I never really got bored or tired of doing it. And here we are today, having fun in front of most people,” said percussionist Jonah Jones.
These students say they couldn’t have gotten to where they are without their school music programs.
“When I was in middle school, my band got cut and that was kind of heartbreaking. But, you know, I came through it and I am still playing. But that’s not the case for a lot of kids, a lot of kids, you know, quit if there’s no band,” Swanson added. “It’s really important to be able to sponsor somebody’s love like that.”
©2025 Cox Media Group
