StringTime Concert Season Winds Down for the Summer

Grab your lawn chairs and blankets and head for the Hamilton County Courthouse Square in downtown Noblesville to savor the final concert of Legacy Keepers Music’s sixth annual StringTime on the Square summer music series.

The concert series debuted in July 2017 in celebration of the 10th anniversary of Legacy Keepers Music, an educational charity that Noblesville’s Janet Gilray started in 2007 to offer musical family programming.

Gilray, musician and vocalist herself, loves bringing string music, particularly bluegrass, to the Square or our community. 

This summer, while the Courthouse’s east lawn was being reseeded and blocked off, the music series and most other events moved to the northwest side of the Courthouse lawn.

Stones Crossing Family Band is the final band of the StringTime season. Mark Graham has been singing with daughters, Shalynn and Amanda for their whole lives, in church and at home. For 30 years, he’s played with various bands, and then one day got a chance to perform with his son-in-law, Billy Adams. Not long after that, Mark Graham quit his other groups to focus on the family band, exclusively. Stones Crossing will be playing a variety of gospel, bluegrass, country and soft rock. And Gilray said, don’t be surprised if the band adds a little bit of Elvis.

Openers are Alec Bohuk and Eric Reel, of Booze Hands Bluegrass. They perform traditional bluegrass with a fresh take on songs we know and love.

Featured band plays 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. with brief intermission for raffle drawing. Openers begin at 6:30 p.m.

Series benefactor is Noblesville Township Trustee Tom Kenley.

Band sponsors over the summer have included Chuck Goodrich, Mark Heirbrandt, George Kristo and Jean Roberts.

Since its inception, Legacy Keepers Music has presented more than 100 public music programs.

Gilray has been mixing business, music and special events ever since her college days in Fresno, Calif. Gilray got her start as a business and marketing major when she landed an internship with the president of the town’s convention and visitors bureau. With that experience, she went on to preside over a non-profit cultural arts auxiliary affiliated with the city parks and rec and then established her own marketing firm to manage promotional events,” she said. “I have always enjoyed gatherings in a public square. All my life it seems, I’ve been organizing art and music festivals, rodeo events, promotions where people come for a good time. I even organized a pet show, once. Now I’ve simplified my life by encouraging live music — finding and hiring the musicians — they play, and I kick back and smile.”

Legacy Keepers Music, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, has actively worked to encourage and support folk-style music for all who enjoy listening, playing and sharing grassroots music in public places.

This StringTime concert series on the Square has had some amazing talent over the summer. And a crowd of growing fans. There is just one more amazing act to hear this Saturday. Thanks for bringing another season of bluegrass music, Janet Gilray. Hopefully, we’ll see you again next summer.

Contact Betsy Reason at betsy@thetimes24-7.com.