Please share a story about your work/experience with ALMA
Being part of ALMA has afforded a variety of unique opportunities that deeply resonate with my desires to cultivate genuine connection between humans, and fluency in their music.
At the Glenn Miller Orchestra concert on March 25, 2026, as a result of my involvement with ALMA, I was blessed with the latest opportunity to embrace a young man, as he reached through his protective walls, seeking a connection that will undoubtedly reinforce the positive trajectory of his coming years.
In a matter of only a few moments in passing, and a request serendipitously caught, I was introduced to this beautiful mind, full of life. At sixteen, he had already overcome the oppressive weight of an unperceptive educator who, just two years earlier, had burdened him with a judgment that his blossoming deep love of weaving his stories in the rhythms of his instruments was “not worth pursuing.” He shared that he had been crushed, but had found the courage to try once more after relocating to a new school, where this time, those guiding the musical learning offered an environment of welcome and encouragement. He also shared his desire to offer the same nurturing to others in his own future.
When I encountered him, he was sharing his hope of connecting with the Glenn Miller Orchestra’s percussionist with Dr. Lind (ASU), and having previously established rapport with various members of the orchestra, I offered to try to help him have the opportunity he had found the courage to seek. He was enamored by the technique and style of the orchestra’s drummer and desired to share his appreciation and solidarity, and he succeeded. As it turns out, the drummer had only just joined the orchestra a few weeks earlier and was still really finding his footing. The connection the two drummers shared served not only to infuse the younger with hope and expanding joy, it also reinforced the confidence and sense of worthiness of the young professional, directly, and among his orchestra mates. Imprinting awe for everyone who witnessed it, including the adult presently most involved in encouraging and walking alongside this student in his musical journey.
This is what it’s all about, and it happens to also be the fuel driving ALMA. Building bridges that offer the chance to connect and thrive, to come together in a held space filled with wonder and appreciation, to relish the moments we turn into tales, often in song.
Angie Hennessey
Board Member | 2025 – Present
Where are you originally from and what brought you to the San Luis Valley?
I grew up near Boulder, CO and in 2010, after living in a variety of places across the country, my partner’s company brought our family to this region to build a mobile phone network to serve the Navajo Nation. We anticipated we’d stay a few years, and well, we’re still here.
How long have you been a part of ALMA and how did you get involved?
In March of 2024, my friend Alasdair Fraser contacted me with interest in performing in the SLV, as they had enjoyed doing so years earlier. He and Natalie’s were once again on tour, their route taking them right through our region. I was elated at the chance of connecting with them, so I reached out to ALMA to request support, and was well received. ALMA helped create the opportunity for our community to enjoy a musical workshop with Alasdair and Natalie as part of their visit. As a result of this experience, I became interested in learning more about ALMA and its mission, and decided I wanted to contribute my energy to the association. I joined the board in late 2024.
Why is music important to you? Why do you think it is important for our community?
For me, music is as intrinsic as breath. It is my first language, and I savor opportunities to connect with others, exchanging our storysongs. Music is not just something we do; it is a presence we inhabit, a space we enter together to share the mysteries and beauty this life can offer. Often, when awareness of this interconnection is lost, ideas arise that distort music’s true nature. The opportunity to express and receive in music becomes, instead, performative (driven by external approval), transactive and commodified. Rather than inclusion and connection, music becomes exclusive and elite. I want to shift this paradigm.
