Barry Manilow Will Award $10,000 to a Portland-Area School and Its Music Teacher During His Rose City Concert

Fans can vote among 10 music teachers on the Manilow Music Project’s website through June 10.

Barry Manilow performing in St. Paul, Minn. in 2008. (Matthew Becker/Wikimedia Commons)
By Andrew Jankowski

If you’re a Portland music teacher, Barry Manilow would really love to see you tonight.

Well, not tonight, but on Wednesday, July 16, at the Moda Center stop of his Last Arena Tour. The “Copacabana” singer will honor regional music teachers on his farewell tour. Of the $10,000 gifts the Manilow Music Project will bequeath, $5,000 will go directly to the person fans vote as Portland’s Favorite Music Teacher, while the other $5,000 will go to buy musical instruments for their school in the form of “Manilow Bucks.” The Manilow Music Project has given more than $10 million worth of instruments and music scholarships since it was established in 2008.

“It is wonderful to partner with our concert venues to identify schools and music teachers in their neighborhoods that deserve this small token of my gratitude,” Manilow said in a statement. “Many school music programs have either been terminated, or their funds have been severely depleted. I always want to do my part through The Manilow Music Project to keep music in schools.”

Rose Quarter personnel helped MMP—one of Manilow’s philanthropic projects supported by the Manilow Fund for Health & Hope—with tryin’ to get the feeling for 10 Portland music teachers to possibly represent the city’s music education excellence to the crooner’s fans. Anyone can vote through MMP’s website through June 10, and the contest isn’t limited to city residents. If you’ve got strong feelings and done your research on the best music teacher in West Valley City, Utah, then you’ve just found the most important election of your lifetime.

If you see your name on the following list, Manilow says this one’s for you:

  • Jason Owens (Franklin High School)
  • Frank Petrik (Lincoln High School)
  • Jason Margolis (Roosevelt High School)
  • Chris McCurdy (Grant High School)
  • Chris Adams-Brown (Leodis V. McDaniel High School)
  • Gary Riler (Grover Cleveland High School)
  • Nick Caldwell (Ida B. Wells High School)
  • Dave Hester (Jefferson High School)
  • Keija Lee (Parkrose High School)
  • Kristina Stingle (Lakeridge High School)

SEE IT: Barry Manilow at Moda Center, 1 N Center Court St., 503-235-8771, rosequarter.com. 7 pm Wednesday, July 16. $33.10–$600.50.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.