Steinway Society of Riverside County celebrates Children in Music, honors Bill Marx

Ellen Bluestein
·3 min read

The Steinway Society of Riverside County presented Bravo: Children in Music at the Classic Club in Palm Desert on April 3. The annual event, the organization's first since the COVID-19 pandemic, showcased young musicians and raised critical funds for music education in public schools throughout Riverside County.

Founder and CEO Ruth Moir welcomed back guests after a two-year hiatus and proudly announced that even during the height of the pandemic, the organization managed to maintain its programs when schools were closed. "We were very fortunate to figure out how to continue our programs during COVID," Moir said. "We didn't skip a beat."

Since 2002, The Steinway Society of Riverside County has worked tirelessly to fill the artistic gap left as funding for music education was cut from schools' budgets. The organization reaches more than 30,000 local school-age children annually and includes all districts in the Coachella Valley. Moir, a musician who, during her career as an entertainer had a 16-piece jazz band in San Francisco, knows first-hand the many benefits of getting kids involved with music. "It teaches so many skills that other things don't," she said. "Patience. Dexterity. [It] helps with math skills and keeps them busy."

Enjoying the musical event are Mary Hendler, Sherrie Auen and Sook Lee.
Enjoying the musical event are Mary Hendler, Sherrie Auen and Sook Lee.

Expertly demonstrating those skills were 10-year-old Queenie Chen, who played "Tarantella" by Moszkowski, and 14-year-old Isabelle Martinez, granddaughter of Steinway Society board president Michelle Cozmuta, who played an arrangement from "Pirates of the Caribbean."

Unlike other music outreach initiatives, The Steinway Society is embedded in schools year-round. Their free programs range from piano labs and music appreciation classes for elementary school students to jazz band master classes and festival and concerto competitions for older students.

And it's not all classical music. Board vice president Jeanie Cunningham, a self-described rocker who joined the organization in 2012, approached Moir with the idea of a ukulele program geared towards fourth and fifth graders. "As if 30,000 kids a year wasn't enough," Cunningham said. "Ruth was still trying to figure out how to bring more music to the schools." Cunningham suggested teaching them the music they wanted to play. Moir was all for it. To date, 545 kids have learned how to play ukulele.

"These kids have an identity now and many go on to become professional musicians," Cunningham said. "It changes kids' lives."

The April 3 event honored jazz musician, composer and arranger Bill Marx. The beloved Rancho Mirage resident who trained at The Julliard School and continues to perform around the valley reflected on the role music has played in his life.

"I think the most important thing to keep in mind, for parents, is to nudge your children very carefully when they're young to have music in their lives," he said. "It is so vital for later on in life. It's a great friend."

Young pianist Queenie Chen (center), here with siblings Tyler and Wilhelmina, beams with pride after her rendition of “Tarantella” at the music event.
Young pianist Queenie Chen (center), here with siblings Tyler and Wilhelmina, beams with pride after her rendition of “Tarantella” at the music event.

Marx was joined onstage by former Broadway star Patricia Welch, who performed songs from the Great American Songbook as well as the jukebox classic "Unchained Melody."

Well-known local entertainment personality Patti Gribow was the mistress of ceremonies. Guests included Sherrie Auen, Kay Hanson, Joyce Bulifant, Lu Barnes, Betty Davis Gates, Sook Lee, Fern Miller, Dick and Janice Oliphant, Howard and Tracy Thompson, Marlyn Bergerud, Ann Greer, Norma Greer Fishkind, Anne Pope, Jennie Rayner and Bianca Boboia.

The event concluded with a performance by Cunningham's ukulele band. Students Nicole Castro, Gaia Calderin, Brayden Davlantes, Angel Torres and Willow Kirk played popular hits including "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen and "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins while showing their versatility by changing instruments between songs. They ended their set with "Listen to the Music" by The Doobie Brothers, a heartfelt reminder of the organization's mission.

For more information on the Steinway Society of Riverside County, visit facebook.com/steinwaysocietyofriverside.

Ellen Bluestein is a freelance writer and event producer. She has been working in fund development, marketing and event production for the majority of her career. Originally from Boston, she moved to the Coachella Valley in 2018.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Steinway Society of Riverside honors Bill Marx, brings music to kids