Homegrown event supports Sumter music ministry

Peace, healing goal of Sounds of Grace

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The highly anticipated concert by some of the community's most talented and giving musicians returns Thursday to the Sumter Opera House. Homegrown is a benefit concert for The Sounds of Grace, a nonprofit group of volunteers whose mission is "to bring peace and healing through music by placing musicians in classrooms for those with special needs" and in hospital and health care settings where comfort is needed.

Kipper Ackerman, founder and director of The Sounds of Grace, said the audience for Homegrown has grown steadily over the years, and "This year, we have a lot of our faithful crew of musicians returning."

Among them are Curt and Kipper Ackerman, Christi Brownlow, Michael Baier, Tripp Boykin, Mark Mitchiner, Dave Lovice, Jeff Wilson, Jay Hodge, Jock Hendricks, Sonny Jones, Kevin Jarvis, Allie and Blake Moseley, and Hank and Sandi Edens.

They will be joined by Caroline and Molly Prothro, Kristen Cote, Caleb Hermanson, Linda Beck and Sean Hackett. Also new to the event will be more than 25 dancers from Dreamworks Dance Mini, Premier and Senior teams and Miss Libby's Senior Dance Company.

As always, the music performed during the concert is varied, Ackerman said.

"Selections will range from hits by Travis Tritt to the Indigo Girls, Don Williams, Billy Joel, Lionel Richie, the Zac Williams Band and favorites from musicals 'Tangled' and 'The Greatest Showman,'" she said.

Homegrown musicians will also honor the memory of Lexie Kinder, who was a recipient of The Sounds of Grace, Ackerman said.

Funds raised by Homegrown support the upkeep of instruments, transportation and other needs to support volunteer musicians. Ackerman herself often plays her harp for those in need of the comfort of music.

Homegrown will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main St. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at The Olive Tree/Doolallies, 600 Bultman Drive No. 6, at the Sumter Opera House box office or at the website http://bit.ly/HomegrownNov1.

Tickets to the pre-event concert package are $50 at Church of the Holy Comforter office, 213 N. Main St. The pre-event includes heavy hors d'oeuvres, beverages and live entertainment by From the Morning, the duo of vocalist AshLee Holloman and guitarist/vocalist Kevin Jarvis.