top of page

Coming Together Through Music

Music Everywhere!

Music Anywhere! is dedicated to providing quality music education and instruments to every child in our community, regardless of ability to pay. We offer scholarships for all of our music programs and instrument rentals.

Our History

In 2008-09, Bayfield Elementary music teacher (and founder/executive director of BFF) Lech Usinowicz, initiated an extra-curricular elementary orchestra. It was free, included 13 students, and was supported by donated and inexpensive instruments sourced through local musicians, parents and online. This was the origin of Be FRANK. In 2013, a Board was formed and 501(c)(3) status achieved. In 2018-19, over 330 students were involved in 23 programs thru Bayfield, Ignacio & Durango schools, including Juniper Charter and 9-R Shared-Home School.

 

BFF programs enjoy strong parent and educator support, leading to a growing awareness of our mission within the community and improvement in participant numbers, quality of musicianship, training and qualifications of instructors, as well as expansion of programs across La Plata County. BFF’s Board continues to support a major achievement by working with Bayfield Schools to provide instruments for their recently added secondary curricular orchestras.

 

In 2018, BFF was honored by the Ballantine Family Fund and Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado with an unsolicited Core Values Grant to help BFF “reach new potential,” noting plans for starting the Creative Music Conservatory as “a vital component to creating a healthy and vibrant community.” In 2018 and 2019, Southwest Ag has awarded BFF their largest allowed sponsorship amount, crediting BFF’s orchestra/DRUM programs for helping make the Bayfield Performing Arts Center a reality. SWAg funds supported the Spring Be FRANK Foundation Elementary Orchestra Festival & Concert at Fort Lewis.

 

BFF management of 9-R’s extracurricular orchestra programs began in 2016-17. Previously, these programs - with the exception of Riverview - featured just one level of orchestra and relatively few participants. In 2019-20, each 9-R elementary, Juniper Charter and the Shared-Home School program will offer beginning and advanced ensembles, plus an intermediate orchestra at Riverview to help accommodate 65+ participants! Collaborative planning, has brought equity, consistency, shared learner expectations across programs, resulting in positive parents/instructor feedback data.

 

Currently in progress, BFF will offer two orchestras at Mountain Middle Charter and an Honors Orchestra to replace the recently discontinued San Juan Symphony (SJSO) Junior Orchestra.

 

Creative Music Conservatory planning included several partnerships: Fort Lewis (facilities), Alamosa- based Mt. Blanca Summer Music Conservatory (MBSMC), (tuition discounts to students who attend both summer experiences, and MBSMC director and University of Northern Colorado strings professor Sarah Off as CMC co-director and instructor). Other 2019 CMC staff include: University of Utah violin/viola professor and former FLC professor, Dr. Kasia Sokol-Borup; San Juan Symphony member & BFF master instructor, Sandy Kiefer; former Durango High/Escalante orchestra director and bluegrass fiddle player Rusty Charpentier; SJSO violinist and BFF instructor, Emily Huntsman; BFF instructor and frontman for his band, recognized for bridging classical and hip hop styles, Alex Blocker; and Escalante Orchestra Director, former BFF instructor and member of both a bluegrass and Celtic band, Dennon Jones.  CMC students performed at the Pine River Festival with national strings-rooted artists The Accidentals. 

We work with: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass

Our Talented Team

Our team of directors is dedicated to bringing music to every child in our community. We have wide-ranging experience teaching music across the country and around the world.

Our Team
PXL_20210112_195125598.PORTRAIT.jpg
Tanya Young pic.jpg
Copy of Kiefer Touch Up-20190526-5D3-IMG_0770-page-0_edited.jpg

Lech Usinowicz

Executive Director/Founder

Master Instructor

Awarded Exemplary  Service to Music Education by the Colorado Music Education Association in 2021, Lech is also bassist in the San Juan Symphony and Founder of the several music education organizations including Music Anywhere!

 Mr. Usinowicz believes in building meaningful and sustainable relationships and programs for students and teachers. 

Tanya Young

Master Instructor

Tanya Young is the music teacher at Bayfield Primary School in Bayfield, Colorado. She is in her fifteenth year of teaching Elementary School Music. Tanya studied Viola Performance at UNC in Greeley, Colorado and later received her teaching certificate and Master's in Music Education with an emphasis in Kodaly Methodology from CSU in Fort Collins, Colorado. 

Martha "Sandy" Kiefer

Master Instructor

Sandy Kiefer has taught in Boston, Canada, and Hong Kong.  She is a trained Suzuki Teacher and has a Masters Degree from New England Conservatory. She has recorded for NPR and played concerts with the Boston Ballet.  Currently she plays with the San Juan Symhony.

bottom of page