On Sunday, October 30th, Youth Musicians from music schools across Massachusetts come together to raise money for The Fogo Project, which is a program dedicated to providing access to instruments and creative tech to young people on Fogo Island. The event will be hosted on the Fire House Stage located in East Boston’s non-profit music organization ZUMIX. Veteran-owned catering company, Code 1 BBQ, will be catering the event with delicious menu options for purchase.
The Fogo Project was founded by Corey SantOne DePina in 2018 after he visited Fogo Island and noticed that there is minimal access to musical instruments and programs for young people. Corey began as a student of ZUMIX in 1992. As an accomplished rapper and skilled workshop program facilitator, Corey has been influential in helping ZUMIX develop its award-winning curriculum, which was nationally recognized by the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities in 2011. Through his experience, Corey felt immediately connected to making an impact on Fogo Island. He has raised almost $10,000 and has collected over 250 musical instruments. Corey’s long-term goal is to assist in creating music spaces and school programs in a Cultural Center on Fogo Island to give access to young people to learn how to play, create and record music.
This event will be hosted at ZUMIX and they will be showcasing their “Ensemble“, which is a mix of young musicians who study at the school. A former student, Peter Greico will also be performing. ZUMIX is an East Boston-based nonprofit organization dedicated to building community through music and creative technology. They believe music is the most powerful means of developing adolescent self-identity. Their award-winning music and creative technology programming is designed to equip youth with the tools necessary to reach their full potential while creating a safe space for youth to explore who they are and who they want to be. The school is located in a 30-year-old Firehouse building that was recently renovated to create a beautiful performance center and educational space for ZUMIX. Through community events, ZUMIX also provides access to top-quality arts experiences for a low-income, historically underserved neighborhood. Check out their website here.
Since 2011, Next Generation Concerts has been driven to create unique performance opportunities for youth musicians that help build confidence through experience while also creating a network of peers who share the same passions. For this fundraiser, they collaborated with multiple reputable music schools from all across Massachusetts to share the ZUMIX Fire House Stage.
One of the performers, Ayla Davis is a young singer-songwriter who plays acoustic guitar, ukulele, and electric guitar. She is an Onset School of Music student, out of Wakefield, Ma. The school is owned by BJ Wass and he has created an upbeat, inspiring, and experienced network of music instructors and musicians who serve the Essex and Middlesex Counties. They work with students of all ages in their 11,000-square-foot facility. It features a performance stage, 12 spacious lesson rooms, ensemble studios, a coffee house/lounge, and a game room. They offer music lessons in nearly all instruments including guitar, bass, drums, voice, piano, woodwinds, and string instruments. Find out more here.
The Resistance is a high-energy rock band out of Be Imagine Music Studios, which is owned by Benjamin Dylan Goldbaum. Be Imagine Studios has 60 years of music instruction in downtown Haverhill, MA. Beginning in 1955, the Haverhill Music Centre has provided high-quality music lessons. In 2012, the instructors continued under the new name “Be Imagine Music Studio” where youth and adult students learn to BE what they IMAGINE. Lessons booked are for guitar, piano, voice, bass, drums, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, cello, flute, ukulele, and mandolin. Be Imagine Studios services students from Haverhill, Methuen, Groveland, West Newbury, Merrimac, Boxford, Georgetown, Andover, Plaistow, Salem, and Atkinson. Learn more here.
The Enthusiasts are an original rock band who recently released their original song “Life Inside of a Hole” which can be found here. They work with The Music Connection which is located in Danvers, Ma. They service students of all ages on the North Shore of Massachusetts. The owner, Darren Muise holds a Bachelor Of Music from The Berklee College Of Music in Boston, has been teaching piano lessons for over 25 years, and is a certified Kindermusik instructor who brings his love of music to pre-schools all over. Their mission is to bring the wonderful world of music to children and adults to create a lifelong love of music while helping them grow intellectually and physically while simultaneously building self-confidence and self-esteem. Check them out here.
Plugged In is a non-profit music program committed to creating an inclusive, loving, and diverse community empowered to change the world. They educate musicians in a non-competitive environment and provide band and individual performance opportunities in support of the community and charitable causes. Based in Needham, MA, Tom Pugh and Sandra Rizkallah co-founded Plugged In 20 years ago. Their goal is to bring students together and teach them how to be in a rock band and, more importantly, understand the importance of giving back to the community through music and philanthropy. Check out them here.
The two performers out of the non-profit music school The Plugged In Band Program are Maya Saturn, which is a young band with roots in R & B, and in-your-face rock band 13 Seconds. Both groups actively work on original music and put their spins on popular covers. Plugged In is a non-profit music program committed to creating an inclusive, loving, and diverse community empowered to change the world. They educate musicians in a non-competitive environment by providing the band and individual performance opportunities that support community and charitable causes. Based in Needham, MA, Tom Pugh and Sandra Rizkallah co-founded Plugged In 20 years ago. Their goal is to bring students together and teach them how to be in a rock band and, more importantly, understand the importance of giving back to the community through music and philanthropy. Learn more about the school here.
Matthew Chagaris is a 13-year-old hip-hop artist from Revere, Ma. He has performed at the Wang Theater in Boston with the “Express Yourself” Incorporated out of Beverly, Ma. Express Yourself is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving young people with mental and behavioral health issues by immersing them in the arts, where they build confidence, community and creativity.
Code 1 BBQ will be catering the event with delicious menu options for purchase. Code 1 BBQ is run by Sean and Erica Marchant. Sean is an Airforce veteran and a dedicated, hardworking husband and father. Erica is an author, entrepreneur, chef, and mother who is passionate about creating made-from-scratch healthy food options for her family. in 2020, Sean got serious about smoking meat at home, dedicated himself to it and he turned his passion into a business. Erica’s homemade comfort side recipes and her entrepreneurial spirit were the perfect combinations for this husband-and-wife team to be successful. They are driven by enthusiasm for quality food. 2022 has been the year that put Code 1 BBQ on the map. You can catch them at farmers’ markets every weekend in between managing their take-out business. Learn more about them and their menu here!
The music runs from 1 pm to 4 pm this Sunday, October 30th at the Fire House at ZUMIX in East Boston located at 260 Sumner St. 100% of the proceeds will be given to The Fogo Project. This is a Halloween-themed event, so costumes are suggested for both performers and attendees. You can support this event by getting tickets here and being the audience for these insanely talented young musicians.
