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‘An opportunity of a lifetime’

15-year-old musician to travel to Europe, play in choir

News photo by Crystal Nelson Jona Hauff, 15, of Alpena plays the piano at The Center Building on Monday. Hauff will be traveling abroad this summer as part of the Blue Lake International Exchange Program and is raising funds for the trip.

ALPENA — Budding musician Jona Hauff is raising funds for “an opportunity of a lifetime.” The 15-year-old Alpena resident plans to travel abroad this summer as part of the Blue Lake International Exchange Program, where he will perform in the program’s choir as it travels to five to seven communities in Europe.

Jona began playing piano when he was 7 years-old and only recently began to sing. He said his mother Mia Hauff, who is also a singer, inspired him so he began singing about a year-and-a-half ago.

Jona said he has taken vocal lessons through Thunder Bay Theatre and has performed with the Downtown Street Performers, the Thunder Bay Folk Festival and the Blues Festival.

He also composes his own music and lyrics.

“It’s invigorating,” Jona said. “I find that I can get my emotions and feelings out into the music and kind of get a message out.”

Jona has attended the Twin Lake-based Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp since 2017, where his primary focus has been on piano. However, Jona said he was asked to participate in the international program’s choir.

“I’m definitely looking forward to the music but the thing I’m most excited for is traveling and getting exposed to all of the cultures,” he said.

Jona will be traveling to Europe in June and although the complete itinerary is still being worked out, he says past trips have included Italy, Germany and France.

Jona said he will be “totally immersed” in each country’s culture, as he will be staying with a host family.

The opportunity, however, does not come without a cost. Jona’s father Tim Hauff said the program is expensive, with tuition and traveling expenses anticipated to cost around $10,000.

“When an opportunity like this knocks at your door, sometimes you just have to take the leap and make it happen, because it can be such a life changing opportunity,” he said.

Tim said they began making payments on the trip and have a Go Fund Me Page set up to help offset the cost of the tuition and program. Jona is also saving money from his job playing the piano at First Baptist Church and has plans for a concert performance at 2 p.m. Jan. 25 at First Congregational Church.

“I don’t know if Jona will ever have this opportunity again,” Tim said. “We don’t know what his future is and if he never has the opportunity for the rest of his life, at least he’ll have that one opportunity.”

Tim said hopefully it’s not the last opportunity Jona would have like this, and hopes there would be many opportunities in his future because of his interest in music.

“He’s been determined for a while that music is what he wants to do for the rest of his life,” Tim said.

In addition to donating at Jona’s concert performance, donations can be sent via a check to Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp: 300 E. Crystal Lake Rd. Twin Lake, Michigan 49457 in care of Jona Hauff’s tuition. Donations can also be made through a Facebook fundraiser on Tim Hauff’s facebook page.

Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp is a summer school that offers fine arts education to gifted students while the Blue Lake International Exchange Program is designed to promote goodwill and understanding among different cultures through the universal language of music.

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.

If you go:

WHAT: Jona Hauff concert performance

WHEN: 2 p.m. January 25

WHERE: First Congregational Church, 201 S 2nd

Ave.

COST: Cash donation at the door

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