New Visions Students Pay Tribute to Dolly Parton for “Dolly Day”

Friday, September 25 is being celebrated as “Dolly Day,” a chance to honor the late Dolly Parton’s life and legacy. Questar III BOCES New Visions: Visual and Performing Arts students decided to honor her in a way that they know best: through music.

New Visions: Visual and Performing Arts is a one-year program for high school seniors, located at The Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy, NY. Attended by students throughout Rensselaer, Columbia, and Greene counties, this year’s class just met two weeks before their performance. When school started, program teacher Peg Danner-Frank asked students if anyone would be interested in honoring Dolly for this project. Ten students volunteered.

After initial direction from Danner-Frank, students ran with the project on their own, turning it into a lesson on collaboration, creativity, leadership, and musicianship. A few students acted as project leaders, and everyone worked together to identify their strengths and supported each other as they perfected their parts. Along the way, students also had the opportunity to reflect on the type of entertainer Dolly was, using her life story as inspiration for their performance.

“I am beyond proud of what this creative and talented group of students put together in just two short weeks,” said Danner-Frank. “It was an honor to begin the school year learning about Dolly Parton’s life as an entertainer, a natural connection for students developing their own artistic voices. I hope this experience inspires my students and everyone who watches their performance to be a little more like Dolly – creative, authentic, inspiring, and committed to making a difference.”

Dolly Parton was more than a musician. She was a storyteller, actress, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. In fact, her generosity became as much a part of her legacy as her music. One of the most meaningful ways to honor Dolly’s legacy is to continue her spirit of giving. If the New Visions performance inspires you to give, please consider a donation to the local chapter of her Imagination Library or the Questar III BOCES Education Foundation (please choose “student enrichment” or “In Memory of” [Dolly] from the dropdown). The Foundation provides support to students in need and enriching opportunities to students, like those in New Visions: Visual and Performing Arts.

Thank you to the following students for bringing this project to life: