Removing barriers so all can have access to musical instruments

By Sue Murray

There are times when two projects coincide and achieve a perfect outcome. A prime example was in 2020 when the Modesto ROTARY Club (MoRo) in California was preparing to celebrate its centennial year. MoRo has supported numerous local projects, from constructing a pavilion at a downtown park and planting trees to helping the city convert an old railroad spur into a bike trail. But for this anniversary, MoRo chose an ambitious and memorable project to help beautify and revitalize the area and also improve the quality of life of its citizens. Meanwhile, Modesto’s Gallo Center for the Arts (GCA) was looking to convert a small, unused, grassy area in front of its building into a public-recreation area—a place to improve diversity by attracting the young, old, able, disabled, wealthy, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Lynn Dickerson, CEO of the GCA and Phil Trompetter, MoRo president, explain how the organizations’ approaches came together for a perfect outcome.