Sheltered Reality Returns to Tipton July 11

The Cedar County Fair has announced that Sheltered Reality will be playing at the fairgrounds at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 11. Tipton high school student, Becki Odeen, is a member of the group and has been drumming with them since 2005. The non-profit musical organization’s membership spans all ages, however the majority of members are youth ages 7 to 18. Members Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Colorado, Ohio, and most recently, Utah, Nebraska and Tennessee.

Sheltered Reality members believe that Music can have meaning, yet be a blast at the same time. They employ the power of music to engage and motivate audiences to make positive changes both in themselves and the world they live in.

Many students may remember when the group performed for the Tipton elementary and middle school staff and students in April 2006. At that time Odeen organized a mission project to collect stuffed animals to be given out at local homeless shelters and emergency rooms. Students responded generously with over 300 toys and stuffed animals that were distributed in Cedar and Johnson counties. This year Becki is hoping that those attending the fair show may be willing to contribute school supplies that can be used by students attending schools in Cedar county who may be in difficult situations. Crayons, pencils, pencil boxes, markers, folders, notebooks, binders, scissors, rulers and backpacks are all items that will be collected at the show and distributed to area agencies and schools. Cash donations can also be used to help provide needed items.

Sheltered Reality was first organized in 1997 by Steve Schlosser, West Branch, and grew from one group of drummers to 5 groups in the state of Iowa. In the past few years it has grown to several group sites in each of a dozen different states. Members of the group learn music and choreography at monthly lessons, participate in mission projects and try to live the message they share with others. To date, over 100,000 people have seen SR perform. In addition to thousands of church, school, and community shows, they have played several times at the Iowa State Fair, at the Easter Sunrise service at Mt. Rushmore the past 2 years, performed at the Wal-Mart national associates meeting in Arkansas and followed a performance by Garth Brooks on the Opryland Hotel this spring.

Jordan Fratt, assistant director of the group, is the grandson of Gladys Taylor, Tipton. He has been very active with the group for several years and has spent the past 12 months traveling around the country with Schlosser giving lessons, performing and helping to organize groups and shows.

Sheltered Reality has played recently in the area at North Liberty and Eldridge and will be appearing near here later this summer at Tug Fest in LeClaire and at the Clarence UCC. To learn more about the group go to: www.sheltered-reality.org.

(The Tipton Conservative - Tipton, Iowa - tiptonconservative.com )