On Maine’s 200th birthday, Pineland Suzuki School will present its 20th annual Benefit Concert – “We Love Maine!” celebrating through music what we love best about Maine – at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 15, at the Messalonskee High School Performing Arts Center in Oakland, with a silent auction and reception to follow.  Submitted photo

On Maine’s 200th birthday, Pineland Suzuki School will present its 20th annual Benefit Concert – “We Love Maine!” celebrating through music what we love best about Maine – at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 15, at the Messalonskee High School Performing Arts Center in Oakland, with a silent auction and reception to follow.

We Love Maine! features more than eighty Suzuki student violinists, violists, and cellists, ages four to seventeen. Experience a delightful afternoon of folk, fiddle and classical music celebrating the seasons, mountains and lakes of Maine, from advanced students performing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons to the youngest students dancing as others play St. Anne’s Reel, the unofficial “Maine State Fiddle Tune.” Pineland Fiddlers will perform traditional dance tunes that have been played in the state of Maine for 200 years.

The proceeds raised from this concert go toward scholarships and enhanced programming options. One of the most revolutionary aspects of the Suzuki Method is Dr. Suzuki’s idea that “musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability which can be developed…the potential of every child is unlimited.”  Pineland Suzuki School is committed to the belief that every child who wishes to play a string instrument should have that opportunity.

Tickets are $10 in advance, and $12 at the door. Students and seniors are $5 and children under 6 are free. For more information about the Pineland Suzuki School and how to support its mission, visit  www.pinelandsuzuki.org or www.facebook.com/PinelandSuzukiSchool.