Benefit concert raises $1,400 for Detroit School of Music

The senior class-sponsored benefit concert, Making Music: Ann Arbor to Detroit, not only made music Saturday night but also almost $1,400 for The Detroit School of Music.

About 70 people attended the event, which was held at Elmo’s Hideaway on Main St. in downtown Ann Arbor. Eight acts performed, including the Greenhills Jazz Band a jazz trio, and seniors Lang Delancey, Chang Che, Anya Parampil, Jordan Pesci-Smith, Lalitha Ramaswamy, Christina Bartson and Florence Rivkin.

“I was really pleased with the turn-out,” says Christina Bartson, who organized the event with classmate Florence Rivkin.  “There was a positive energy in the room and everyone seemed to really be enjoying themselves.”

Both Bartson and Rivkin became passionate about Detroit after attending a Greenhills-sponsored spring break trip last spring to Detroit’s inner city, when 14 students spent 10 days engaging in community service and learning about how young and inspiring entrepreneurs are working to make a difference in the struggling city.

“We have absolutely fallen in love with Detroit,” says Rivkin. “We want to help the city in any way we can, which is why we were excited to put together this concert to help The Detroit School of Music purchase eight portable pianos. Detroit has one of the richest musical histories in America, so this concert was an homage to its past.”

Click here to see Making Music video.

While promoting Making Music last week, Bartson and Rivkin were featured on Channel 7’s Detroit 20/20 as their Persons of the Week.  Click here to view the clip.