Don't wait until after to see AFTA
Travel back to the true age of Rock n’ Roll and join two iconic musicians, California native, Stephen Bishop and “Men at Work “ vocalist Colin Hay, as they light up Barnum Hall. Get ready to sing, dance and play some air guitar. The Artist for the Arts Foundation (AFTA) concert, featuring these music icons along with up-and-coming band, Venice, will take place Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7:00 p.m.
AFTA is a non-profit organization that strives to connect high school student musicians with professional music stars, exposing students to the thrill and intensity of music from a new perspective.
According to SMMUSD Music Director Tom Whaley, the 2015 performance will be the 11th annual benefit concert hosted by Cynthia Fox, the popular radio personality of 100.3 The Sound. In the past, artists such as Jackson Brown, Billy Idol and Heart have performed alongside Samo orchestras.
“Samohi, Malibu and Olympic high school students serve as the choir, orchestra and horn section along with the amazing local professional rock band Venice,” Whaley said.
Hay and Bishop are both famous singer-songwriters well-versed in blues, pop rock and soft rock. Hay is best known for his work as the lead singer in the Grammy-winning Australian rock band Men at Work. The band has had numerous number-one albums and singles such as their big hit “Down Under.” Bishop’s hits include “On and On” and “Separate Lives,” which tracked on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the 1980s. He also wrote the theme to the Dustin Hoffman film “Tootsie.” In addition, Bishop’s song “Separate Lives” was nominated for an Academy Award for its appearance in “White Nights.”
According to Samo Orchestra Director Joni Swenson, the goal of this star-studded event is to raise money and bring recognition to the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) music department. All ticket sales and live auction proceeds will be used to fund the district’s various performing arts programs. The profits also help fund elementary Dream Strings, Dream Winds and Dream Voice, which are special programs that help support music students and teachers at Title I Schools in the district. The proceeds will also fund recorders and recorder books for all third grade students.
The concert has raised about $100,000 each year from past performances. This year’s concert is guaranteed to raise a lot of money and attract a diverse audience to witness these talented performers.
This year, students from Samo’s Symphony, Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band are joining forces to accompany Hay and Bishop. According to Swenson, students rehearse out of class with the AFTA guests and coordinators. Students are challenged with the new rock and blues genres of music, compared to the classical music that is typically played in orchestra and band. Chris Horvath, a professional arranger, has been mentoring the students and writing all the original music.
“AFTA is unique in the way that we use classical instruments to play a completely different genre of music. As classical musicians, we rarely get the opportunity to let loose and explore a different realm of music, but participating in AFTA gives us that chance,” Chamber Orchestra student Thomas Lin (’15) said.
Rehearsals take place once a week for an hour and one half. Students get direction from Swenson and Orchestra Director Jason Aiello. They have also received musical guidance from Horvath, Hay and Bishop for the last week.
“[Hay and Bishop] will be playing a mix of hit songs from a range of older and newer popular songs. The audience is always on their feet dancing and singing,” Whaley said. “We have had people come from all over the country and world. Many people just want to come every year because it’s an amazing concert.”
The concert is a professional production with a crew and television monitors. It provides students with an opportunity to perform with world class musicians and talent in a professional setting.
According to Samo Orchestra student president Akira Nagao (’15), AFTA allows students to gain a professional music experience.
“This exposure to the professional music world inspires us to look beyond the classroom and pursue and explore the world of music outside of what we play in orchestra,” Nagao said. “The opportunities and dreams are endless. AFTA proves to us that they can become reality.”
Tickets available at http://www.aftafoundation.org/upcomingevents.html. Showings Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7:00 p.m. Prices range from $50-$175.