Last year, as part of my fundraising for music education, I gave 10% of my earnings to local non-profit organizations dealing with homelessness and poverty. In December 3rd, 2013, I organized a concert for this purpose. The Rose City Park United Methodist Church (RCPUMC) was generous enough to let me use their facility. I chose RCPUMC because they are very actively helping the homeless community. The performers included the Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP) String Quartet, the Baroque Trio “I Ragazzi,” and a duet from the PYP Association. In addition, I played a Mozart Sonata and the 1st movement from Lalo Symphonie Espagnole. Despite a very small turnout, we met the goal of raising $1,000! The agencies benefited were Human Solutions, Street Roots, JOIN, Portland Adventist Community Services, SnowCap, and P:ear. They were all very exited to receive the donations. I’ve decided to make this an annual event, and RCPUMC has invited me to bring the concert back as a part of their holiday series next December. Thank you to all the musicians who performed in this recital, RCPUMC, the agencies working with homeless, and everyone who attended the concert!
