When Ketchum resident Sid West died last month, a sense of abright and joyful star being extinguished was palpable. West was an oversized personality—something he passed on to his equally exuberant son, Tom West. Sid West could be found in a boat or on a ski slope—and most often behind a piano—cracking jokes, living large and laughing louder. He loved music, which is why, when his daughter, Christy Flynn, son-in-law, Larry Flynn, and Tom West were deciding what they could do in Sid West's name, a music scholarship seemed appropriate.
Meanwhile, Mitzi Mecham and Bob Hall, owners of Notes Music Store and Music & Me Music Studio in Hailey, had decided that they couldn't keep funding scholarships on their own.
"We give $1,000 back personally in music lessons," Mecham said. "So we decided to have a fundraising concert."
That was when the Wests called and the Sid West Music Scholarship was created. West never had a lesson in his life, but he knew the value of starting young and having a hand up.
"We're so grateful to the Wests," Mecham said. "We wanted to put something special with this concert. Kids need instruments for orchestra and band programs in school."
Planned from 2-10 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, the Rock and Ride Concert at Lion's Park in Hailey will benefit the newly formed scholarship. The funds raised will help pay for the cost of renting instruments and lessons for students on a "by-need basis."
The show will feature The Maladies, The Damphools, Piers Lamb—who is helping organize the event—The Kim Stocking Band, the Ketchum World Beat Street Band, the School of Rock bands, and the Jeremiah James Gang and Matt Hopper from Boise.
Picnics are welcome and there will also be food vendors. New Belgium Brewery is donating Fat Tire Ale. Mecham said there will also be large raffle items.
It's no secret that Mecham and her family are music lovers. They all play instruments and work at one or the other establishment. Their son Connor is in no less than three of the School of Rock bands.
"Music changes so many lives" she said. "We get referrals all the time from therapists. Counselors say, 'Put this kid in music.' It builds social skills, cognitive and mathematical skills. At a recital it's a chance for these kids to shine. How cool is that?"
One of the biggest things later in the summer is the Music & Me Music Jamzz Camp for two weeks in June and in July, Mecham said. "People are planning their vacations here around it. The kids learn to make a rock band. We teach piano, guitar, bass, drums. They learn three songs. Then they make a CD, and posters. They market themselves and at the end we have a concert at the Wicked Spud and they perform.
"We also play dance parties on First Fridays at the HUB in the Community Campus. Now on the first Saturday we're doing Tween dance parties at the YMCA, too. Our whole school is performance based. One of these days I want to have a totally non-profit music school—no one will be turned away. That's our mission. I can't wait for 10 years from now to see what's happened."
For more information on the Rock and Ride Concert or to donate to the Sid West Music Scholarship, call Music & Me at 788-3348, or Notes at 788-2496. An account in the scholarship name has been opened at the Mountain West Bank in Hailey.
Sid West
