Post date: Nov 13, 2012 1:46:15 AM
Dear Friends, I hope you and your loved ones are safe after Hurricane Sandy, and that there is no major damage to your property. Some residents who have lived in NJ for decades have said that this is the most powerful storm that has ever swept through our area. Many are just now beginning to recover from the shock and damage, after having lived without power and heat for days.
I do not need to tell you about the impact that Sandy has had: it has affected each and every one of us. But as we begin the road to recovery, I hope the Cecilian Music Club can step in and do its small part as well. During WWI, for example, the Cecilian Music Club organized concerts to raise money for the Red Cross, and today, we have an opportunity to help our neighbors here at home.
Organizing a fundraising concert would help raise money for much needed repairs and supplies, but also, create a positive community experience. I am writing to ask for your suggestions and ideas! Please email me with your thoughts!
A few ideas suggested to me:
1. A piano marathon, in which all interested students have an opportunity to play
2. A concert by all applicants for the Young Artist Competition
3. A concert by teachers/members
4. Part of the profit from the Monster Concert could be donated to the Red Cross. After all, the very first official Monster Concert was organized by Carl Czerny in Vienna, in 1830, to raise money for victims of a recent flooding of the Danube River.
Please share your ideas and let me know what sounds most reasonable and effective to you. This concert would not only help our neighbors, but give students a chance to use their talents toward something good, and to learn that music is not about competition, but about community. With all the talent and experience we have here at the CMC, we can certainly create something spectacular! Thank you all in advance for your support, ideas, effort, and help!
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Marina Strakovsky (lmstrak@gmail.com)