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Points North

Points North, Ep. 5: March Madness

Erin Iafrate

This week on Points North, March Madness is here. But for some in northern Michigan that means practicing their musical instruments – not college basketball. Plus, we meet the Upper Peninsula Poet Laureate and take a look at counterfeit money in northern Michigan.

Local music students perform in bracket-style competition

Credit Erin Iafrate
David Reimer is the music director for the Dorothy Gerber Strings Program. He uses sports to inspire his students to establish good practicing habits.

David Reimer is trying to create a culture of commitment and intensity for his young music students. Using the sports world for inspiration, he’s started a music practice competition called March Madness.

Hear how the competition is motivating his students.

U.P. Poet Laureate writes poems inspired by place

Credit Marty Achatz / Facebook
/
Facebook
Marty Achatz poses with a Sasquatch statue. He is working on a collection of poems that all have Bigfoot in them.

Marty Achatz is the first ever Upper Peninsula Poet Laureate to be awarded the honor for a second consecutive time. He writes poems filled with the imagery of the Lake Superior and the natural world in the U.P.

Learn more about Achatz's poetry, including one poem about Bigfoot.

We want to hear from you:

In a future episode of Points North, we'll hear about one county's efforts to make schools safer. That got us thinking, do you feel your kids are safe at school? Does your school do enough to ensure their safety?

Call to comment at 231-276-4444, send a voice memo to ipr@interlochen.org or comment below.

Corrections: A previous version of the show identified the detective from the Charlevoix County Sheriff's Office as Travis Miller. His name is Travis Williams. We also incorrectly pronounced the name of Marty Achatz.

Morgan Springer is a contributing editor and producer at Interlochen Public Radio. She previously worked for the New England News Collaborative as the host/producer of NEXT, the weekly show which aired on six public radio station in the region.
Max came to IPR in 2017 as an environmental intern. In 2018, he returned to the station as a reporter and quickly took on leadership roles as Interim News Director and eventually Assignment Editor. Before joining IPR, Max worked as a news director and reporter at Michigan State University's student radio station WDBM. In 2018, he reported on a Title IX dispute with MSU in his story "Prompt, Thorough and Impartial." His work has also been heard on Michigan Radio, WDBM and WKAR in East Lansing and NPR.