APPLETON, Wis. — Kathleen Westbrook calls herself a “home-grown guitarist.”

Regardless of how it’s classified, she had a blast Tuesday playing music with John Packwood of Little Chute.

What You Need To Know

  • Street Music Week runs through Saturday in Appleton

  • Musicians are playing on College Avenue from noon to 1 p.m. during the week

  • The goal of the week is helping the wider community and those in need

The pair were performing as part of Street Music Week in Appleton.

“Music itself is just such a wonderful way to express yourself. It’s a way to channel emotions. It’s also a great way to meet other likeminded folks with awesome talent,” Westbrook said. “You get to be in the middle of a wall of sound, and there’s just nothing like that.”

From noon to 1 p.m. each day this week musicians are lining College Avenue with the goal of raising $10,000 in donations for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. The week wraps up Saturday at the Appleton Farm Market from 9 a.m. to noon.

“You can’t beat doing something you love that you would be doing anyway with the hope that it will benefit other people,” Westbrook said. “Both in the music they hear and the food the food that they will able to enjoy.”

(Spectrum News 1/Nathan Phelps)

Heid Music is the presenting sponsor for the week.

President DeDe Heid said this is the eleventh edition of the event that traces its roots to Spokane, Washington.

“Our goal is to really have that grassroots community effort of playing music and sharing of your talents to be able to lift our community,” she said.

Heid said over the past 10 years the event has raised more than $100,000.

“What makes a community is how it’s neighbors are helping neighbors and using whatever talents and gifts we may have to strengthen and build one another up,” she said. “What better way than what the gift of music can do?”

(Spectrum News 1/Nathan Phelps)

Tuesday’s rain moved performances inside Heid Music. Musicians like Westbrook and Packwood carried on.

“I do this as a hobby, I’m not a virtuoso, but I have a lot of fun with it,” Westbrook said. “Anybody who has ever kind of wanted to just dabble in music, there’s a way to do that on any level you happen to be at. Music is just not for the professional people, it’s for, well, anybody.”

Donations can be made at Heid Music; to the individual performers buckets; and online here.