Camas Music Boosters (CMB) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2023 that supports music education in Camas schools. With the help of volunteers, administrators, and music educators, they work to make sure music education is accessible to all students.
For many at Camas High School (CHS), music classes are a place of community and shared passion. Raye Jensen, a senior, joined Select Vocal Ensemble last year, but has participated in arts and choir programs since middle school. They shared how important the community in these programs is to them.
“Music programs give students a cool way to express themselves and it’s also a really important community to so many people,” Jensen said. “And even if you’re stumbling through a piece, you’re stumbling through it together, and that makes it a lot less frustrating.”
At the heart of the CHS choir program is none other than Choir Director Ethan Chessin. For the 14 years that he has taught at CHS, he has integrated his love for music into every facet of his teaching. Chessin expressed the importance of music—not only in schools, but in life.
“Art makes life beautiful and interesting!” Chessin said.
With large amounts of school funding being given to sports, some students, such as CHS sophomore Grace Webberley, feel that organizations such as CMB help to bridge the gap.
“If we’re funding sports, we need to fund music programs too,” Webberley said. “The community is so important and we’re all looking to do the same thing—we all want to make art.”
In 2024, CMB distributed $36,000 to music programs within the Camas School District, buying things such as instruments, uniforms, equipment, and music. For the CHS choir program, that money meant being able to coordinate a South Asian cultural project.
“We were able to fund our Indian music unit, making connections with local musicians and teachers to enrich our performances,” Chessin said. “Who knows what we’ll be able to fund next year, but it should be amazing!”
For students who may want to pursue music after high school, the connections they make while in a program such as choir can carry on into their professional careers.
“Camas students have the opportunity to meet composers, world-class performers, and teachers of distinct classical and folk styles,” Chessin said.
CMB is holding their second annual Gala Auction at the Portland Yacht Club on April 26. This event includes dinner, live and silent auctions, and performances by student musicians. All donations go to music programs and teachers within Camas.
