Recommended itinerary for Thurston County (part one)
Originally published on The JOLT News on July 10, 2025
With a multitude of festivities taking place in Thurston County this weekend, there is something for everybody.
Given that backdrop, I have created a recommended itinerary that features performers like Dr. John Guarente and his Vox Olympia Professional Chamber Choir, and Tenino raised country singer and song writer Adam Craig. Performances will take place on July 11-12. See “Recommended itinerary part two” for two extraordinary performances on July 13.
Vox Olympia
Andrew Goldstein of Emerald City Music and Dr. John Guarente (more on him in a moment), came together to create Olympia’s Professional Chamber Choir called “Vox Olympia.”
Gathering their musician friends from the community, Goldstein and Guarente found real magic. Right from the first rehearsal, this group has been a meaningful and fulfilling journey for everyone involved.
In 2022, they gained nonprofit status with the mission to bring excellent choral literature to the greater Olympia area and to foster connections within the music community. Since Goldstein has moved, Guarente continues to hold down the fort as music director.
This “Magnificat” concert with guest conductor Roupen Shakarian and members of the Olympia Symphony Orchestra is on July 11; it starts at 7 p.m. and is free. There will be a mixture of sacred and secular works, including Francesco Durante’s “Magnificat.” I am particularly looking forward to a piece by 20th century black composer Margaret Bonds called, “I Shall Pass Through This World.”
More information can be found here.
John Guarente
Anyone who knows Dr. John Guarente knows how talented and kind he is, just how much he contributes to the beating hearts of the Thurston County and Washington state music scenes.
Some of the things currently keeping Guarente busy include being creator, director and conductor of Vox Olympia, professor and mentor at South Puget Sound Community College, president of the South Sound Chapter of Beer Choir, board member of Washington State’s American Choral Directors’ Association (ACDA), and chair of Two-Year College Repertory & Resources for ACDA.
I enjoyed chatting with Guarente, and appreciated hearing why he thinks the arts is so important in our world today:
“Art has been important since ancient times, and it remains important today as we become increasingly addicted to technology, reliant on it to entertain and think for us ... we need the arts for our mental health, to help us figure out who we are [and gain confidence in that], and to keep the spirit of human endeavor alive," Guarente said.
After a few years of not singing in choir, I did not feel very confident in my capabilities, but I had a ton of reignited passion for music and Dr. G chose to invest in me. I am incredibly grateful. Thank you for all you do, John Guarente!
Beer Choir
Come grab a beer and sing silly songs about beer with the SPS Beer Choir at Three Magnets Brewing on July 29 at 6 p.m. Beer Choir hymnals will be provided, vocal acumen is not required.
Adam Craig
Born and raised in Tenino, Adam Craig is proud to come from Thurston County and is honored to be performing here again this weekend at the first outdoor concert at the new Stone City Event Center in Ag Park.
The Oly Mountain Boys, a South Puget Sound bluegrass band, will open for Craig on Friday, and Whisky Strut, an Olympia-based six-piece country band, will open for him Saturday.
Chatting with Craig, I was in awe of the hard work and passion that went into studying music theory, sight singing, ear training, and all the other skills and determination that brought him to his singer and songwriter career.
Craig has penned hit songs for major country artists, including Jason Aldean ("Church Pew or Bar Stool"), Parmalee ("Close Your Eyes"), and Dustin Lynch ("World to Me"). He has also released fan favorites, such as “Just a Phase” and “Why Can’t She,” and was named one of Rolling Stone Country’s Artists You Need to Know.
Many of Craig’s songs draw from memories of growing up in Thurston County, whether that be from his times playing sports in high school or passing by the water tower.
Craig's concert will lead you through beautiful music, stories, and teach you a bit more about the writing process and the music industry.
Purchase tickets for July 11 or 12 click here.