Melodies & Memories: A Community Tribute to Michael C. Brush

The Review is pleased to announce that A Community Tribute to Michael C. Brush will take place on Friday, October 14th from 7-9 PM at the Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy Performing Arts Auditorium, 1903 N. Niagara in Saginaw.  Advance tickets are available at $10.00 for students; $20.00 adults, and $100.00 for a patron donation.

Entitled Melodies & Memories, this community tribute to Mike will be rendered in four acts, each covering specific periods of his illustrious career, with a focus on Mike’s myriad contributions to the Saginaw community and beyond. Acts One & Two will focus on Mike as a young man and educator, with Act Three focusing on Mike as a community contributor and arts supporter. Act Four will focus on his music & performances.

Approximately 500 seats are available in the auditorium, so they are expected to sell fast. Patron tickets with a $100 donation will receive front section reserved seating. Due to limited space, people interested in attending must RSVP by October 5th. Checks should be payable to The Saginaw Public Schools Foundation and mailed to M. Brush Tribute Tickets, 550 Millard St., Saginaw, MI 48607.

Proceeds will go to support the Saginaw Public Schools Foundation and the SASA ‘Buy-a-Key’ initiative for a new Grand Piano.  Tickets are also available in person through the SASA Main office Monday – Friday from 8:00 am – 4:00 PM.

The Saginaw Public Schools Foundation is a charitable foundation begun by the Saginaw Public schools about 10 years ago. It is managed through the Saginaw Community Foundation, with its own Board of Directors.

Ken Kousky is the current president and this tribute to Mike was initially Ken’s idea. “I ran into Mike at the grocery store awhile back and asked what he was up to and he told me that he had retired from the Saginaw School District,” explains Kousky. “Frankly, given all the work he has dedicated not only to students, but to all sectors of our community throughout the duration of his life, I’m hard pressed to think of an educator more deserving.  It’s rare to find people that give back to their community at the level Mike does.”

Proceeds from the Michael C. Brush Community Tribute event will support two community initiatives: first, the SPS Foundation, which provides grants to teachers for extended learning experiences for students in classrooms, along with items not covered by general operating budgets of schools or normal supply allocations to teachers.

“We administer a lot of micro-loans and mini-grants to educators looking to advance special projects that enrich the district’s students that have either been cut from budgets over the years or lost funding,” explains Kousky.

The Foundation also considers the needs of SPS student initiatives, and students or student councils can also write to the Foundation for grants. There are one or two application periods each year that are publicized through the district schools. Currently the Foundation is focusing its volunteer efforts toward identifying community mentors for students in the Saginaw Public School system.

The ‘Buy-A-Key’ program at SASA was begun by Hillary Huebler, a student of Mike Brush’s, for her senior project. Hillary worked with Brush to identify the cost of a new grand piano for the Voice-Keyboard program in which she studied under Brush for seven years at SASA. As the estimated cost for a new grand piano was approximately $25,000, the Buy-A-Key program requests donor contributions of $285.00 per key to cover the standard 88 keys on the piano keyboard. Hillary managed to obtain donor support for nearly 20 keys before she graduated, but many more are still needed.

Look for more details on this exceptional event, along with a more detailed look at Michael’s storied career in our next edition.