Star-Studded Benefit Concerts for NAMM’s Museum of Making Music Raise $60,000 for Vital Music Education Opportunities

-Funds will offset annual operating costs that provide music education and making opportunities to foster youth, seniors and more-

CARLSBAD, Calif. – August 31, 2018 –  NAMM’s Museum of Making Music (MoMM) has just announced its recent benefit shows: A Concert for a Cause, featuring Herb Alpert and Lani Hall (August 10), and a Bluegrass Benefit with The Grascals and Flatt Lonesome (August 25) raised an estimated $60,000 in support of music education and music access. Over 700 patrons attended the events in support of the Museum’s efforts to foster youth in the San Diego-area and make a difference in the lives of thousands of children, adults, and seniors.

“Fundraising for both the young and the young at heart has never been more fun,” said Carolyn Grant, Executive Director of the MoMM. “What a testament to the power of artistry as we brought together different genres of music in a united front to benefit so many lives. We are grateful to the incredible artists, Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, as well as The Grascals and Flatt Lonesome for partnering with us in this special way and for supporting the important proposition of music’s ability to change lives.”

Programs supported include the MoMM’s Title I Tours, which provide access and often transportation costs for schools where over 92% of students live below the poverty line; the Adult Band Program, which offers band and orchestral programs for adults, including many older adults,  the opportunity to gather and participate in music-making opportunities; and the San Pasqual Academy Partnership, a hands-on music program for foster teens that supports students who are enhancing their life skills and broadening their horizons through music and music-related opportunities.   

Annually, the museum invests over $100,000 in support of equal access to music programs that impact thousands of children and adults from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds.

Patrons of the Concert for a Cause, featuring Herb Alpert (trumpet) and Lani Hall (vocals) enjoyed an eclectic mix of music from Cole Porter American standards,  to the Beatles, and classic Tijuana Brass  Brasil ’66 and  improvisational jazz. Some of the night’s top-hits  included “Tijuana Taxi,”  “A Taste of Honey,” to “Look of Love,” “Night and Day, Both Alpert and Hall spoke of the importance of music education, and for Alpert, the life-changing impact music has had on him: “The first time I picked up a trumpet, I was eight years old. I’m a card-carrying introvert and it was so bad when I was young, I was almost mute, and as I learned to play, I realized my trumpet could do my talking for me.  Obviously, it transformed my life!” The two-hour concert was held at The Music Box in downtown San Diego on Friday, August 10.

The August 25 Bluegrass Benefit with The Grascals and Flatt Lonesome packed the Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Concert hall with 500 patrons. Guests of the evening enjoyed the harmonious, traditional yet modern compositions of The Grascals, featuring Terry Eldredge (guitar/vocals), John Bryan (guitar/vocals), Danny Roberts (mandolin), Terry Smith (bass/vocals), Kristin Scott Benson (banjo), and Adam Haynes (fiddle), all musicians known for their personal and musical bonds. The night closed with Flatt Lonesome featuring Kelsi Robertson Harrigill (mandolin/vocals), Buddy Robertson (guitar/vocals), Charli Robertson (fiddle/vocals), Paul Harrigill (banjo), Dominic Illingworth (acoustic bass), and Michael Stockton (resophonic guitar). Both musical groups are noted for their skillful musicianship and harmonious melodies and have been recognized with numerous performance honors from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA).

Upcoming events at the MoMM include concerts from Laurence Juber, The Phil Ranelin Jazz Ensemble, Peter Asher and Albert Lee, and the Martin Barre Band, featuring Barre,  Jethro Tull’s guitarist of 40-plus years. Famed photographer Henry Diltz will return to the Museum for an encore presentation of his memorable slideshow. Diltz has photographed The Doors, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jimi Hendrix, and scores of other legendary artists. The slideshow event will showcase some of his most powerful photographic essays, with special commentary on the stories behind them. His “Listening Through The Lens: The Photography of Henry Diltz” exhibit is currently on display at the MoMM now through October 29, 2018. For a complete list of events, please visit https://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/events.

Photos from the benefit concerts are available for editorial use, credit to Tim Whitehouse:

A Concert for A Cause: Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, The Music Box – August 10

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/j3190vrl35wrizr/AAC7JPphWE5g6EJ7vjYfaf4-a?dl=0

Bluegrass Benefit: Featuring The Grascals and Flatt Lonesome, Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall – August 25

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fomd9c66u8i3o70/AAA2wFRaP1sDUYFdotH7rSGua?dl=0

For additional information about the MoMM, please contact:

Chalise Zolezzi | NAMM
Chalisez@namm.org

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