It’s been another big year for Lopez School’s MPPACT (Music Production and Performance Artist Collective for Teens). Students in this music club have performed at school and community events around Lopez as well as PSMFYA’s (Puget Sound Music for Youth Association) Spring Festival in Tacoma and the Solo and Ensemble Contest in Bellingham. MPPACT ended the school year by entertaining Governor Inslee with a rambunctious cover of “Freebird” during Lopez school’s commencement ceremony.

This summer, while most children gravitated toward their typical outdoor adventures, a small group of elite MPPACT musicians and their coach, Jesse Hammond, began work on their setlist for the Rock En-Roll Music Festival, a yearly music maelstrom of bands that occurs every Labor Day Sunday. This will be the third year that the Lopez Community Center is hosting the event that has brought in over $5,000 to support music education. The goal this year is to raise another $3,000 to support the MPPACT program as well as the startup of the first orchestra class at Lopez School headed by John Platter. John will be drumming with the newly founded supergroup The Postpwnd who will be kicking off the show at 2 p.m.

Folks can arrive anytime during the show on September 3rd and be treated to the best musical performances Lopez has to offer. The infamous Skablins are headlining the festival and PSMFYA’s youth group, Blue Avenue, will be coming from Seattle to play an afternoon set. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Wrecking Crew member Don Peake will be shredding with The Sundown Rush alongside hyper-local bands such as The Roctopus (RockTerra) and Fieldboats. The music starts at 2 p.m. this Labor Day Sunday at the outdoor pavilion. The show will move indoors if there is rain. A $10 donation will be accepted. More info at www.facebook.com/rockenrollyouth/.