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First Posted: 5/12/2014 Who
&#8230;can you help if you&#8217;re a musician with some extra instruments laying around?
Elementary school music teachers of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District will be accepting new and used band and string instrument donations in an effort to provide as many elementary school students as possible with the opportunity to play a musical instrument next year.
These tax-deductible donations will be used at one of the following schools beginning in the 2014/2015 school year: Boyd Dodson Elementary, Heights Murray Elementary, Dan Flood Elementary, Dr. David W. Kistler Elementary, or Solomon/Plains Elementary.
Donations can be made between noon and 3 p.m. on May 18 at the following drop-off points: Wal-Mart on Schechter Drive in Wilkes-Barre Twp. and Schiel&#8217;s Family Market on Hanover Street in the south end of Wilkes-Barre.
If you cannot make it to the donation drive but would still like to donate, call any of the five elementary schools listed above at 570.826.7111 to arrange a drop-off.
What
&#8230;is going on during the next, just-announced F.M. Kirby Center season?
Tons, as the venue is yet again bringing a variety of acts to the area, including Celtic Woman&#8217;s 10th Anniversary Tour, The Irish Rover&#8217;s Farewell Tour, The Time Jumpers featuring Vince Gill, and a Broadway package of &#8220;Jekyll and Hyde&#8221; and &#8220;A Bronx Tale.&#8221;
&#8220;An Evening with Groucho&#8221; highlights the Kirby Center&#8217;s annual Signature Series, while 360 All-Stars adds some high-flying, urban-circus flair, and Slapstick Sonata makes its U.S. debut right here in Wilkes-Barre.
The ongoing Young People&#8217;s Theater Series also returns, now with a lower ticket price of $6, featuring school-time stage adaptations of &#8220;The Wizard of Oz&#8221; and &#8220;Beauty and the Beast,&#8221; among others.
And, as always, performances will be added as time goes on, so make sure to check in with kirbycenter.org to keep up-to-date.
Where
&#8230;can you not only catch a talented folk singer/songwriter but also help a local organization in return?
Head to Wilkes University&#8217;s Henry Student Center Ballroom on June 1 for two shows by Ellis Paul, a Boston native and nationally recognized artist with songs in films like &#8220;Shallow Hal&#8221; and &#8220;Hall Pass.&#8221;
That day, Paul will play two concerts to benefit the KISS Theatre at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. The first show is family-geared, featuring hits from &#8220;The Hero in You.&#8221; Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children. The evening show will feature fan favorites and songs from the upcoming &#8220;Chasing Beauty.&#8221; Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door.
Tickets are available at kisstheatre.org. Visit ellispaul.com for more info.
When
&#8230;is one of the area&#8217;s biggest celebrations of bluegrass?
The NEPA Bluegrass Festival will take place May 29 through June 1 this year at Lazy Brook Park in Tunkhannock.
There will be two stages highlighting a variety of artists, such as CMT, Grand Old Opera, The Roys, and the Grammy-nominated Boxcars.
There is also Danny Stewart&#8217;s Jam Tent, where representatives from official bluegrass associations up and down the East Coast take turns guiding jam sessions in which local musicians are invited to participate.
Full weekend tickets, which include camping, are $65. Tickets and a complete list of scheduled performers are available at nepabluegrass.com.

The W: Wilkes-Barre Area School District, F.M. Kirby Center, Ellis Paul, and NEPA Bluegrass Festival