Bay College and the Bay College Foundation invite the community to experience “Strings on the Bay: Where Music Meets Opportunity” on Tuesday, September 29, at 7pm CT at Bay College’s Iron Mountain Campus, in the Lower Commons.
The special evening will bring together student stories, the impact of scholarships, and live chamber music while marking the first time the longstanding Strings on the Bay series has traveled to Bay College’s Iron Mountain Campus.
The evening will begin with a student panel discussion, giving attendees the opportunity to hear firsthand from Bay College students about their college experience, the impact scholarships have had on their educational journey, and the resources that have helped them succeed.
Following the student panel discussion, guests will enjoy a chamber music performance by Emily Olson, flute, and Margot Bingham, harp.
Olson is a versatile flutist and arts leader with more than 25 years of performance experience. She has appeared with the Ann Arbor, Flint, and Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestras and performed as a chamber musician throughout the Upper Peninsula. She also serves as the Artistic Director for Beacon Arts Michigan and Music Director for Bay College’s “Strings on the Bay.”
Bingham is a professional harpist and teacher based in southeast Michigan. She holds performance degrees from the University of Michigan and Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with renowned harpists Lynne Aspnes and Yolanda Kondonassis. She performs throughout the region while maintaining a private teaching studio.
The musical program offers a vibrant journey through centuries of dance‑inspired music, bringing the flute and harp together in styles ranging from the courtly Renaissance to Spanish habanera, Argentine tango, classical ballet, and more.
Strings on the Bay has brought chamber music performances to the Escanaba community for more than 30 years. “Where Music Meets Opportunity” brings the series to Iron Mountain for the first time, expanding the tradition to Bay College’s Iron Mountain Campus and surrounding community.
“This evening gives the community an opportunity to hear directly from our students,” said Vicki DeGrand, Executive Director of Foundation and Alumni Relations at Bay College. “We are excited to share their experiences, along with Strings on the Bay, with the Iron Mountain community.”
This event is free and open to the public, but guests are encouraged to RSVP in advance at baycollege.edu/strings or by scanning the QR code on event materials.
For more information about the Bay College Foundation and its work supporting students, programs, and the learning environment at Bay College, visit baycollege.edu/foundation.
About Bay College
Bay College is the community’s college with a mission of: Student Success, Community Success, and Culture of Success. Bay is devoted to each individual’s achievement in the classroom, on-campus, online, in the community and into the workforce by providing career certificates, associate degrees, transferable university credits, industry certifications, trainings, and professional development programs which develop skillsets, enrich individuals, and advance careers. #BayIsTheWay