By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
With the eighth session of the Connor Brite’s Wildflowers free music program winding down, officials of the organization are already looking ahead to the next session, due to begin in March.
Officials said scheduling for the next session, which will run through June, will begin soon.
Four months of free lessons in guitar, keyboard, and drums are offered to Adams County students in fourth through 12th grade.

Those interested, including previous students, should fill out an application on the program’s website: cjwildflowers.com
“First choice is given to new students but if we have room, we welcome back any previous students … to continue lessons or try a new instrument,” the organization said.
The lessons are given in the organization’s music room at the MERIT Center in Decatur.
The program’s lease at the MERIT recently was approved for another year by city council.
Nineteen students are in the latest program, which began in November. Nineteen is the maximum number allowed in each session.
Over 100 students have completed the free program held to honor Connor Brite, one of three Bellmont High School graduates who lost their lives in a traffic accident with an impaired driver on June 7, 2020.

Jordan Fuelling and Trevor Ortiz also were victims of the crash.
The program offering free introductory lessons in keyboard, guitar and drumming was launched by Brite’s parents, Jeff and Steph, not long after the tragedy. Their daughter, Allie, along with family and friends, pitched in to get the program going.
Connor Brite was a huge fan of the late Tom Petty and a Petty CD, “Wildflowers”, was the only one to survive the crash. So that was the name chosen for the program.
A spring concert is held each year to raise funds to support the free program.
Officials are hoping to highlight some of their students at this year’s event, which will be the fifth.
The instructors who have been with the program from the start are: Sydney Baker, who gives guitar lessons on Mondays; Debbie Christian, keyboard, on Tuesdays; Curt Rash, drums, on Wednesdays; and Teri Morningstar, guitar and keyboard on Thursdays.
Bob Shraluka
Author
For decades, Bob Shraluka has been reporting the happenings and news stories in and around the City of Decatur. A mainstay at local government meetings, Bob is also an avid hockey fan. Although he considers himself a wordsmith, the word “retirement” is not in his vocabulary. Shraluka has been writing for WZBD.com since its inception.















