BIOGRAPHY:

Lynne Doherty, a musician and music teacher, brings the sound of music to the young students of the Ojai Valley.

She is in charge of volunteers working the Music Van, part of the Ojai Music festival's Bravo! music education program. It is a mobile classroom that brings dozens of instruments to the kids with a chance to blow, strum, shake, or beat a variety of brass, woodwind, string, and percussion instruments.

Her efforts began in 1992. She began with the Ojai band, playing french horn. She worked with Living Treasures, Bill Wagner and Laura Denne and gave music lessons between concerts.

This evolved into the Music Van, which for many of these young students, is their first experience with a musical instrument. A professional musician demonstrates the instrument, then the children get to hold and play the instrument. "It gets pretty noisy", says Lynne.

During Ojai Day, she has a booth where people get to try different instruments. She calls it the "musical petting zoo". Some of her students remember these experiences that led to their choice of instruments.

Aside from her music, she and her partner, Helen volunteer at the Ojai Tennis Tournament and started Ojai's Gay Pride March the last Sunday in June.