How A Community Can Be Helped Through Music

You don’t have to be the “talent” when it comes to fundraising through music.  Having great organizational skills, a willing “band” of supporters and believing in your cause is a great start toward a successful event!

Word of mouth and brain-storming works wonders!  You may never have picked up an instrument in your life, but your neighbor’s brother has been playing the guitar and singing since his teens.  Or maybe, the last time you were at the supermarket, you noticed a local musician’s CD for sale at the courtesy counter.  Start by contacting those “peeps” and let them know you have a great avenue for them to showcase their talents, while helping out someone less fortunate.  That’s a hard offer to refuse!  Great!  They both agreed and one even has a buddy who often plays Show-Tunes on the piano at a nearby restaurant.  Wow!  Look at the progress you’ve made already!

Have a couple of different, mutually agreeable dates in mind; be sure not to conflict with other fundraisers or big events in your town.  The local newspaper is a good place to check on “What’s Happening!”   

Now where would a good place be?  Your budget may dictate your selection to a certain degree – unless that neighbor on the other side of you still does the catering for the local Civic Center? Remember, net-working and even, at times, calling in some favors are the backbones to any profitable charity event.  Remind your potential venues that not only are they helping out a great family or cause, but that their assistance will bring nothing but positive ”press” to their facility, as well!  It’s a win-win situation!

You have the date, the performers, the venue and an eager group of friends to help!  The hard part is done!  Give your event a name, be sure to state who your charitable efforts will be benefiting, print up your tickets – with so many teens being computer savvy today, one of the local kids can whip up custom-made tickets in no time! 

The personal gratification that you and your group will get by providing help to your “cause” is immeasurable!  The fun that you will have organizing the festivities makes it even that much more worthwhile.  Be creative!  Decorate, serve refreshments, that same teenage kid can make you a great Program, hang flyers at the dry-cleaners, salons and gas stations, have some special door prizes, maybe a Bake Sale?  The Sky’s The Limit – And The Rewards Are Out  Of This World!! 

We Came Across This Article and Were So Impressed!!  It’s an incredibly admirable example of how two young girls are helping their community members through music!

Sisters create music to benefit charities

Charlotte teens hope talents can help Dickson Countty

5:25 PM, Feb. 16, 2012  |  

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Charlotte teens, Sammie, 13, and older sister, Stephanie, 17, are writing songs and giving the proceeds to individuals and causes. / Elizabeth Thompson photography

Written by

Colleen Creamer

The Dickson Herald

You can say, “What’s the matter with kids today?” But you can’t say it about the Jarvis sisters.
Charlotte teens, Sammie, 13, and older sister, Stephanie, 17, are taking issue with music. Stephanie, a junior at Creek Wood High School, and Sammie, in sixth grade at Dickson Middle School, are writing songs and giving the proceeds to worthy individuals and causes, some very close to home.
“We had an essay to do in my English class for the state,” said Stephanie. “It was about if we had a million dollars, what we would do for the community. That triggered our first song “Land of the Free.”
The proceeds from “Land of the Free” are going to House of Hope and New Beginnings, a refuge for homeless families in Dickson.
Stephanie, quite the acoustic finger picker, continues to learn guitar, and Sammie sings in a young, breathy voice that is pitch perfect. They also have a little help on guitar solos from another local musician, Zack Brooks, 23, who also contributes on harmonies.
The story behind their second song started close to home with a terrible tragedy. When the sisters’ nephew suffered severe child abuse and then, ultimately, Shaken Baby Syndrome, they knew they had their second song — and their second cause. “Eyes of Tragedy’ will go to The Child Advocacy Center in Charlotte.
“When you watch TV, and you see that other kids are being abused, we wanted to write about that and inform people that this does go on,” Stephanie said.
The third song on the CD is entitled “Believe in Me” with Sammie on vocals and Zack and Stephanie on guitar. When the girls found out that a family friend, Drew Stacy, had melanoma, and that the family needed money for medical expenses, they simply added the family to their list and are donating the proceeds to them.
The CD entitled “The Voice of Change” sells for $6. So far, “The Voice of Change Project” has raised $300 for Drew Stacy, $135 for the homeless and $100 for child advocacy.
So, when will all this end? Not likely any time soon. The list appears to be growing. Apparently, these two believe there just might be better things to think about other than boys and cell phones.
To listen to their music and read about their causes, visit their YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/user/jarvisgirls.

This article appeared in print on February 16, 2012, in The Tennessean with the headline: Sisters Create Music To Benefit Charities.

You can also follow the Jarvis Sisters at:   http://www.songcastmusic.com/profiles/TheJarvisSisters