Two volunteers with the Estevan and District Music Festival were acknowledged and given accolades for their long hours of volunteer efforts with the festival over the years. Allison Holzer and Lesa Seipp received the 2016-17 Saskatchewan Music Festival Association Award.
鈥淓very year the board nominates two people who volunteer with the music festival, and they decided to honour Lesa and I,鈥� said Holzer.
The Estevan and District Music Festival has been a part of Holzer鈥檚 life for many years. She noted that her experience with the festival began when she was a child, participating in the vocal, speech arts and piano classes from pre-school until high school.
鈥淚t is an honour. I have been involved with the festival ever since I was a child,鈥� said Holzer. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 a surprise, but it is fabulous to be recognized. I鈥檓 very honoured. They can only pick two a year, so it was nice to have my name put forward.鈥�
Holzer followed in the footsteps of her mother, who was a church choir director and organist, and frequent participant in festival choir singing; and her father who was a volunteering advocate and, for several years, president of the Mainline Music Festival.
Since she started in Estevan as teacher in 1983, Holzer has participated in music festivals, in and out of the city, in accompanying roles for students of all ages. Holzer also has performed a great deal herself, singing with the Joy Singers ladies choir and the Stars Circuit.
She has directed and accompanied other musicians in a number of Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) musical productions, has sang on a church music team, church and community choirs and co-ordinated the Rotary Carol Festival.
鈥淚 have done a lot of accompanying over the years, and have worked and practiced with a lot of kids over the years,鈥� Holzer said. 鈥淪ometimes it can be a lot of work, and a lot of effort to get band students together, practice and co-ordinate schedules, but I love playing music and accompanying.
鈥淚鈥檒l probably be accompanying students in the festival until I die. Some people find accompanying to be like a chore, but it鈥檚 fun for me.鈥�
Holzer left a local scholarship she was awarded to encourage new singers and musicians in the festival. It wasn鈥檛 long before Holzer became a part of the music festival committee from 1997 to 2013, serving assorted roles on the executive. She accompanied band and vocal students while serving in those roles. She also busied herself directing a choir and drama classes at ECS.
Holzer saw her own children participate, and accompanied them as they participated in speech, vocal, piano and band portions of the festival.
Even after retiring from teaching after a 32-year career and no longer being part of the executive, Holzer is a regular volunteer for the festival, and she continues to accompany students and choirs.
Although Seipp was unavailable to speak to before the publication deadline of Lifestyles, biographical information released by the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association stated that Seipp grew up in Macoun, watching her parents on the farm and at the local hardware store they owned, embodying an example of helpfulness to other people, that inspired her to volunteer.
Growing up in a small community, Seipp saw the spirit of volunteerism and how vital it was to the community, and decided to do so herself.
The Estevan and District Musical Festival was one of the many places Seipp volunteered. When her daughter started playing piano in the festival, Seipp joined the executive. Seipp has been a volunteer with the festival for 14 years, and regularly serves as secretary to the adjudicator.
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