Summer 08 - Contents
A big hand for our new artists this quarter!
amberRose Marie - Giorgio - Jeremy Manasia - Jesse O - Jill Abramovitz - Stanley Jordan - Todd Olsen
Huge thanks to everyone who played!
African Drum & Dance - Al Lee Wyer - amberRose Marie - Ben Godwin - Bradd Marquis - Cassandra Kubinski - Chris Jones - Dan Asselin - David Pearl - Deni Bonet - DJ Boo - Elli Fordyce - Ganessa James - Gay Men's Chorus of Manhattan - Giorgio - Grace Garland - Harry Thompson - Imperial Court - Isabel Rivera - Jami Jackson - Jeremy Manasia - Jesse O - Jill Abramovitz - Jill Melanie Wirth - Larry May - Lyfe Jennings - Marcus Goldhaber - Maria Davis - Mario Spinnetti - Markeisha Ensley - Martin Bard - MC Koba - Michael Ashanti - Mike Butler - Nhojj - Paul Wayne - Seth Rudetsky - Sonia Montez - Stanley Jordan - Sunshine Lemonade - Teri Scheinzeit - Todd Olsen - Tom Boyd - Tony D'Mattia - Voices In Unity
Now let's hear it for our amazing volunteers!
Amber Carter - Amenan Kouadio - Andrea Molinatti - Ashani Rivers - Brian Roces - Christine Lin - Cori Kaylor - Daria Diaz - Dawn Carr - Deepali Kakar - Hannah Kim - Hannah Upp - Jamie Chan - Janelle Hailey - Janete Scobie - Jen Grossman - Kate Roche - Katie Janowski - Laura Wierbicki - Marsha Jean-Charles - Nisha Asnani - Rebecca Love - Sherie Pope - Suzi Blitz - Tamara Johnson - Yolanda Gunning-Snowden
Featured Artist- Katy Pfaffl
For those of you who made it to the Hearts & Voices benefit at the Bitter End last fall, or who've been lucky enough to volunteer at her shows with us, Katy Pfaffl needs no introduction. She's one of New York's best kept secrets- a stunningly talented vocalist, pianist, violinist and guitarist who writes absolutely killer songs. She's the kind of musician that other musicians go nuts over, and catching a Pfaffl show is not only an incredible musical experience, but a chance to rub shoulders with the cream of New York's singer / songwriter scene, who all come out to soak up the music. But despite packing venues like the Living Room and the Canal Room on a regular basis, some of Katy's most memorable performance experiences have been with Hearts & Voices.
"One show at Rivington House will forever stand out in my mind as one of the best performance experiences of my life. I had been feeling really terrible that day, frustrated with my life and feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. Even when I arrived to set up for the gig, I was still trapped in my own head. However, once everyone started showing up to listen, something inside me shifted. By the time I sat down to play, I wasn't able to think about myself at all. Every note was for them. Every word was for them. I played True Colors by Cyndi Lauper, and something amazing happened. I got to the chorus and EVERYONE started singing. It was so powerful that I could barely make it through the song. I have never been so moved during a performance in my life and will forever remember how music brought us all together. After I finished playing that night, I couldn't remember what I had been so upset about. It simply didn't matter."
Katy started playing at the tender age of six- "We were required to play an instrument at my elementary school. They only offered us two choices for instruments - the recorder or the violin. I had asthma so they wouldn't let me play the recorder, so I got stuck with the violin. Before I knew it, I was singing, playing piano and eventually teaching myself the guitar." It's no surprise that her musical idols are also fearless innovators and multi-instrumentalists- artists like Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Chopin, Jeff Buckley, Bobby McFerrin and Ani DiFranco.
Katy is up to big things, with a live album ('If I Rise') just out and a new studio disc slated for the fall. Check out Katy's Myspace page for some stellar live tracks, and head down to the Living Room on June 27th to catch her live with the full 8-piece band. Of course, if you're an active volunteer, you get to see her work her magic up close and personal for Hearts & Voices.
Meet Erika Banks, your new Program Coordinator!
LIFEbeat is delighted to announce that from July 12th the new Hearts & Voices Program Coordinator will be Erika Banks. Erika has been with the program for some time as a performer, and stepped up to the plate when news broke of Ben's imminent return to the UK. She brings not only a set of razor-sharp organizational skills, but an amazing singing voice and performance presence, as anyone who's volunteered at her shows with Voices in Unity or Sunshine Lemonade will attest.
Erika says "I'm very excited to be partnering with each of you to bring the healing, comforting & uplifting power of music to people living with AIDS here in New York City and beyond. Arthur William Edgar says it best in these immortal words 'We are the music makers, we are the dreamers of dreams...we are the movers and shakers of the world forever it seems!'"
Team LIFEbeat smashes AIDS walk target
Last year, we thought we were being pretty ambitious setting a $15k target for our AIDS walk team, but you all came through for the cause and raised over $20k. So, this year, we thought we'd be really ambitious and go for a $25k target... and you SMASHED it! We're still counting donations, but it's looking like we might even break through the $30k barrier.
At LIFEbeat, we're always blown away by the commitment and generosity of our volunteers. Only a handful of teams beat your total, and those teams were from corporations like GAP and Mac Cosmetics- teams with hundreds of members from companies with massive resources.
We're proud of you. Thanks a million, and let's do it all again in even grander style next year!
Hearts & Voices program highlig hts
The last three months have been an absolute blast, with too many great shows to do all of them justice in this newsletter. A few special one-offs merit special mention, though-
- Vocalist and dancer Jesse O kicked off the month of April performing at Rivington House for a delighted crowd. Our good friends at Woozyfly.com were in attendance and filmed the whole thing. (more on that very soon.) Thanks, Woozlies!
- Club sensation amberRose Marie rocked the room all over again the very next week with her hit single 'Destiny'. A big shout out to Catz Entertainment, who are massive supporters of the cause.
- Guitar virtuoso Stanley Jordan made a surprise visit to the kids at Incarnation Children's center, captivating the whole room with some seriously tasty guitar playing and getting everyone involved in some completely wild percussion jams.
- Lyfe Jennings wowed us all when he made Hearts & Voices part of the album release celebrations for his third full-length disc, 'Lyfe Change.' More than a great performer and songwriter, Lyfe also proved he's a great role model, spending nearly an hour talking with the kids at ICC about his former life on the streets, his journey through the prison system, and what it takes to transform your life.
- Finally, the biggest show of the year so far came at Terrence Cardinal Cooke when over 100 residents gathered for a show by Hearts & Voices artist Elli Fordyce to celebrate the work of their carers, with a special show to commemorate the end of Nursing Home Week entitled 'Love Is Ageless'.
Give your music for the holidays- or year round
Every year, we make hundreds of goodie bags to give to our audiences as a special holiday gift from Hearts & Voices. The last two years running, we've included a special 'Superstars Disc' featuring some of their very favorite Hearts & Voices artists. This year, we'd like to do that again, and we'd like to go one better. We'd like to ask you, our artists, to consider donating your CDs.
If you're serious enough about your music to spend the time and money to make and sell a CD, these two statements may apply to you-
- You consider your music a business, and you save all your receipts so you can write them off at tax time.
- You ordered way more CDs than you know what to do with, and your boy/girlfriend keeps nagging you about the crippling lack of closet space in your apartment.
What you might not know is that if you donate CDs to LIFEbeat (or any other 501c3) you can write off the wholesale cost of the discs. So, although you might have paid $1 a disc to duplicate them, you can write them off for $8 or thereabouts. And that means that you might actually end up ahead on the deal at tax time- and even if it costs you, you'll be measuring that cost in pennies.
Many of you already bring giveaway discs to shows, which is awesome. CDs from Hearts & Voices artists are the single most appreciated gift to our audiences.We want to make sure you get your proper tax credit, to make it easier for you to donate. Tax breaks aside, when you give your music, you're doing more than making a donation. You're making a connection. You're giving people a chance to make your music a part of their lives and their healing process- to make Hearts & Voices last all week long.
If this is even slightly interesting, let's talk- drop me a line at performers@lifebeat.org.
Afterword
As you all know by now, I'll be leaving LIFEbeat in July to return home to the UK. I've had an incredible run here, and I've lost count of the wonderful experiences that I've had working on Hearts & Voices. It's a bittersweet parting for me- I am thrilled to be going home, and I'm so excited to become a father and to be with my family again. But I'll miss this like crazy.
I'll never forget the everyday miracles I've seen you create again and again for our audiences. You've taught me that music makes a profound difference, and that through it we have the power to transform the condition of being human. I'll carry that lesson and these memories with me forever.
I know that Hearts & Voices will be fine- better than fine. Not just because Erika is a wonderful person and a fantastic performer and organizer, but because she's supported by all of you- a community of compassionate, dedicated and ferociously talented artists and volunteers that it has been a joy and an absolute privilege to work with. Thank you for being my friends and my teachers.
But hey, I'm still here for another month, and I plan to enjoy every moment. See you at a show soon!
Much love,
Ben
