Harmony for Youth has hired Teresa Ingles as its new executive director thanks to a $30,000 venture grant, received from the United Way of Sarnia Lambton. Ingles said she will be working hard over the next year to revamp the organization -- which offers youth music lessons free of charge. "We have guitar lessons, we have drum lessons and we have choir," said Ingles. "We want to look at forming bands. We're going to do bass lessons, guitar lessons, drum lessons, keyboard lessons and help these youth that want to get into a band find other people that are musically inclined in the positions they want and get them in those bands with them." While children aren't charged for the lessons, Harmony asks that they pay it forward by volunteering in the community for every hour of instruction they receive. Ingles said she plans to revive some fundraisers that were successful in the past. "We're actually bringing Skate Jam back this year. I guess it's been about ten years since it ran and it's a skateboard competition. It will probably be in July. It will be skateboard, scooter and BMX." Harmony, was launched in 1999 by Joanne Klauke-LaBelle, who died in 2015.
(L to R) Harmony for Youth treasurer Bonita Ovens-Taylor and executive director Teresa Ingles. (Submitted photo.)
