‘He (Betancourt) helped me figure out that music education is where I belong in life. This weekend has become one of the highlights of my career as our paths cross again and I am so happy that our Nevada students were able to work with such a great educator ’ -Nick Jacques, MS All-State Band Chair Person for NMEA

The inspiration for Hope Rising came in the days following the mass shooting of 17 individuals at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida on February 14, 2018. For almost two decades, I have watched in horror as mass shootings take place in our schools. Columbine High School (1999), Virginia Tech University (2007), Sandy Hook (2012), Umpqua Community College (2015), and Stoneman Douglas High School (2018) are some of the most memorial incidents, but all the shootings