Music is a universal language that transcends boundaries, evokes emotions and paints our lives with vibrant hues, like a master artist at work. With summer fast approaching, and as we prepare for the summer library program’s theme of “Color Our World”, I jumped at the chance to write this article.

We want to celebrate the magic of music while taking the opportunity to thank the Grand County Blues Society, Grand Concerts and Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre for bringing culture to Grand County Library District’s collections, all while saving patrons thousands of dollars. These three amazing non-profit organizations deserve a standing ovation!

Grand County Blues Society has been a steadfast partner in the library’s mission to link people to boundless opportunities, including bringing the joy of music to everyone in our community. Their generous donations and meticulous maintenance of musical instruments have been the key ingredients in the success of our “Check Out the Music” program.

Through their efforts, our Library of Things collection boasts a diverse array of instruments, including ukuleles, violins, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, bongos and more. This means you can borrow a violin or guitar for three weeks before you need to invest a small fortune in purchasing an instrument. Remember, it is free to sign up for a library card and check out instruments.

A huge thank you is also due to Retta Yarbrough, a talented singer and songwriter of the Blood Sugar mother-daughter band. Her selfless dedication to repairing, tuning, and updating our instruments has been instrumental (pun intended) in the ongoing success of our program.

Retta’s commitment to our community is truly inspiring, not to mention she rescued you from my unmusically trained ear of attempting to tune and care for this collection. We can’t forget Gary Luton from Grand Lake for sharing his stringing and tuning talents, as well as all the volunteers who have assisted throughout the years.

A heartfelt thanks goes out to Grand Concerts for bringing talented classical music performances to Grand County, and to Rocky Mountain Repertory Theater for their award-winning performances that leave us in awe. Their contributions to our mountain community are like the crescendo in a beautiful symphony, lifting our spirits and enriching our lives. When you reserve a library Access Grand pass, remember to thank these organizations; feel free to hum, sing, or rave about how lucky we are!

Our libraries offer a wealth of resources to help you explore and enjoy music. Two online resources, Gale Presents: Udemy and Kanopy, provide access to a wide range of music lessons. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced musician, you’ll find valuable tutorials and courses to enhance your skills.

We also offer a vast collection of books on music, including how to play instruments, read sheet music, and get inspired by biographies of musicians. Or listen to musical CDs (including Blood Sugar’s “Bittersweet” album) and concerts on DVDs.

Music truly adds color to our days. We are proud to collaborate on the topic of music, creating a more vibrant, harmonious and connected Grand County. Let’s keep the music playing and the colors flowing! Remember, every time you strum a chord or sing a note, you’re adding a splash of color to our community’s canvas.

Contact Tallie Gray, director of library resources for Grand County Library District, at tgray@gcld.org for more information.