Classical pianist Alpin Hong, seen at the center of this throng, will perform at the October concerts and present a school educational outreach program.

Leaders of the Water Music Society are excited.

And those in the school music community are delighted.

Diane Marshall from the society is asking residents of the Long Beach Peninsula to mark some dates on their calendars.

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Water Music Society

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Tickets for the July 15 Garden Tour are available on Ticket Tomato at www.tickettomato.com

For information, contact Nancy Allen at Nancitaly@aol.com or 360-642-2507

The group, which has existed since 1984, works year-round to plan a series of concerts that bring professional musicians to perform. Since 2013, it has contributed $39,000 to programs at Ocean Beach and Naselle schools.

Rachel Lake, director of the musical groups at Ilwaco High School, is especially grateful. Her jazz band students have just returned from a performing and learning trip to Reno, Nevada, an event Lake called “an amazing jazz festival.”

Although these students have a May 30 concert coming up, and will provide music for the June 10 graduation, many are looking forward to the Blaine Harbor Music Festival and Camp in mid-July.

The event features day-long music classes including instrumental and vocal jazz, song writing and a session for non-traditional jazz instruments. It is capped by six nights of concerts featuring performers from around the Pacific Northwest, New York City, Europe and Canada.

Nineteen Ilwaco students have signed up. Organizers say that is the most from any school in the history of the event.

“I am ecstatic with so many students wanting to attend this camp and they could not have done it without Water Music’s help,” said Lake.

Marshall is happy to hear that feedback.

“We are extremely grateful to our granting organizations, and to every donor, sponsor and ticket purchaser for making our dream come true — that being contributing to the success of music and art programs in the local schools and giving kids more opportunities to fully participate, learn, and make some of their own dreams come true,” she enthused.

As well as concert ticket sales, this year’s Water Music Society events will be funded by a July 15 garden tour spanning locations from Seaview to Oysterville. These self-drive tours have taken place since 2005; some gardens offer hors d’oeuvres and host performing musicians.

“New-to-the area visitors and residents are introduced to neighborhoods and towns on the Peninsula,” said another leader, Nancy Allen. “For our local population, it is one big happy reunion, seeing friends after our long and wet winter.

Bret and Nansen Malin’s Seaview home will host a talk on how to build a greenhouse by Brett Malin plus tours of Nansen Malin’s flower boutique and workshop with a set-up of an outdoor wedding venue.

At another location, author Maggie Stuckey will sign her book “The Container Victory Garden: A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Your Own Groceries.”

Next will be Jazz and Oysters at the Port of Peninsula Aug. 12 featuring the IHS jazz band, guitarist Terry Robb and versatile instrumentalist-singer Curtis Salgado.

Concerts scheduled for Oct. 13 and 14 at the Chinook Event Center feature a global theme. “This year’s Water Music Festival will be particularly exciting since ‘music is indeed the universal language,’ and, to that end, we have Latin and Cuban music at Friday evening’s concert and European, North American and Asian music on Saturday evening,” Marshall added.

The group concludes the year with a Christmas concert Dec. 3 featuring George Mitchell, who was the touring pianist for Diana Ross, with other artists.