Ramona & The Marimba’s last show set for May 13, 14
File Photo — Colonel Wright Elementary’s Ramona Harwood directs the “Marimba Pioneers” in her front yard during COVID near the Elementary School. Back then, students Stella Pedersen, Althea Waters, Porter Elledge, Eliza Vaught and Kennith Strunk worked the mallets as she gave direction. Harwood, the school’s music teacher, said the class was the “funnest part of my job.” She had gloves, masks, sanitizer and water for the students. “You gotta do whatever you can to make it work,” she said. Nice job Ramona Harwood! Way to get after it. The marimbas were handcrafted by Peter Bush of Estacada.
The Dalles, Ore., May 4, 2026 — A unique elementary music program that has filled The Dalles with the sound of marimbas for years will take its final bow this month, as Colonel Wright Elementary students prepare for a series of community performances and the retirement of their instructor.
Students in the school’s marimba program will perform throughout the day on May 13 and May 14 at several locations across The Dalles, including local senior centers and the Oregon Veterans Home. The performances are part of an annual outreach effort that brings live music directly into the community.
This year’s concerts carry added significance.
Instructor Ramona Harwood, who has led the program for seven years, said this will be her final group of students before retiring. In that time, she has helped build a program that not only teaches music, but connects young performers with audiences who may not otherwise have access to live performances.
The marimbas themselves were made possible through community support, including contributions from Rotary and other local donors who invested in the handcrafted instruments used by the students.
Harwood said the program has been one of the most rewarding parts of her career, giving students the opportunity to perform as a team while sharing their work with the broader community.
Performances are scheduled at multiple locations, with stops including senior living centers and care facilities. Organizers note that venues such as The Springs and local senior centers offer some of the best opportunities for viewing due to lighting and space.
The concerts are free and open to the public, depending on venue access policies.
For Harwood, the performances mark both a celebration and a farewell — a final chance to showcase the students’ work while closing out a program that has become a small but meaningful part of The Dalles’ cultural landscape.
