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A mural honoring late Lubbock musician Mike Pritchard now stands at the Betty M. Condra School for Dyslexia Success, where a music department also bears his name.(KCBD Photo)<\/p>\nLUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A mural honoring late Lubbock musician Mike Pritchard now stands at the Betty M. Condra School for Dyslexia Success, where a music department also bears his name.<\/p>\n
Artist Elyse Arnold painted the mural after she was approached by the school. She said she wanted the work to send a message to students.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was really excited to be a part of doing something big and powerful for that to showcase to the children that yes, there are people out there who want to invest in your future and your interests and things like that,\u201d Arnold said.<\/p>\n
A mural honoring late Lubbock musician Mike Pritchard now stands at the Betty M. Condra School for Dyslexia Success, where a music department also bears his name.(KCBD Photo)<\/p>\n
Arnold said the mural took about two months to complete, from proofs to final painting. It features flowers, cardinals \u2014 the school\u2019s mascot \u2014 music notes, and Pritchard\u2019s likeness and logo. She said the broader purpose of the project extended beyond the wall.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s very important as individuals at all, even for adults to have self-expression, creativity, having an outlet, having something that you can be proud of that you\u2019ve made that no one can take from you because you made it came from your hands, your mind,\u201d Arnold said. \u201cAnd so having that self-expression is really empowering and really helps self-esteem that can carry on into adulthood and gives them the courage and like confidence in all areas of life outside of just art. Like it just kind of spills over across the board.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pritchard\u2019s widow, Tiffny Pritchard, founded \u201cMike Pritchard\u2019s Friends Fest,\u201d an annual fundraiser that has directed money to the Condra School for three years. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe chose Condra for the first year because I found that they only had five-gallon buckets and drumsticks,\u201d Tiffny Pritchard said. \u201cIt was basically all they had for their music program.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fundraiser has helped raise about $15,000 for the Condra school, according to administrators.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes me very proud. It makes the family proud, and I\u2019m not going to stop,\u201d she said. \u201cI will not let him be forgotten and, you know, blown away with the West Texas wind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Music teacher Josh Frye said the program transformed what was available to students. Before the Pritchard donations, the school had toy drums and, later, a donated upright piano and congas. After the funding came in, Frye said he was able to purchase guitars, a full drum set, three keyboards, and additional ukuleles.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen after we moved into this school, that\u2019s whenever the Mike Pritchard program helped us out, and I got to spend $5,000 one summer on guitars and a whole drum set that we have over there, three keyboards, a bunch more ukuleles, like anything that I would put in the hands of a child just so that they could have a little fun for five or ten minutes,\u201d Frye said.<\/p>\n
Frye said music does more than occupy students \u2014 it opens parts of the brain that benefit learning across subjects.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust being able to have something that they\u2019re successful at, whether it might sound good or not, but to actually play something just kind of unlock some other parts of their brain,\u201d Frye said.<\/p>\n
Merinda Condra, the school\u2019s founder and superintendent, said the Condra School is the first of its kind in Texas and is entering its eighth year of operation. The school serves children with dyslexia at no cost \u2014 tuition, after-school programming, summer camp, and meals are all free.<\/p>\n
Condra said music is a natural fit for the students her school serves.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re very creative. And music absolutely is a place they can shine. And they do shine. If you look at the statistics on artists and entrepreneurs and inventors, you\u2019re going to find a pretty high percentage of people who are dyslexic compared to the general population. So, yes, we want to boost their confidence. We want them to see their potential,\u201d Condra said.<\/p>\n
The Pritchard family\u2019s organization will move on to support a different school after three years with Condra. Tiffny Pritchard said the board will vote on the next recipient.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just makes me proud. It makes me excited that they\u2019re excited,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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