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04/19/2017 09:30 AMIt’s a music performance that benefits more than just your ears. On Sunday, April 30, Music Haven, a non-profit organization that provides tuition-free music education to kids from New Haven’s underserved neighborhoods, is taking over the Surf Club for a performance to entertain shoreline residents and raise money for the program.
Madison residents Rebecca and Tim Frey organized the event, Strings on the Sound. Music Haven Board Member Rebecca Frey said the Music Haven program does more for students than just teach them music.
“What is most important is that Music Haven gives its students more than just music lessons,” she said. “It provides them with community, family, mentorship, and a safe environment that is always there to support them. Additionally, the quality of the tuition-free education is truly remarkable. The students receive multiple hours per week of free classes in addition to free instruments. The teachers are incredibly passionate about their mission and they serve as mentors.”
The sense of community fostered by Music Haven seeps into other causes as well, according to Frey.
“This youth orchestra within Music Haven has been raising money and awareness for IRIS, an organization that supports New Haven area refugees,” she said. “These students learn the importance of helping others and they work hard to share the rewards of their music education with others in need. They also conduct clothing drives to help children through IRIS.”
Frey said Strings on the Sound includes performances by the Haven String Quartet, a group of conservatory trained professionals who have devoted their careers to bringing the joy of music to kids in need, and who are resident teachers for Music Haven.
Frey said after seeing the quartet perform at another fundraising event, she and her husband decided Madison would be a good place for another fundraiser.
“A few times a year, the Haven String Quartet will perform at fundraising house concerts,” she said. “At these concerts, which are moving performances by both the quartet and the students, the quartet takes time to explain the mission of the organization and how they work with the students to create a source of positive growth and development as musicians and as members of the community. I attended one of these events and I was deeply impressed by both the performance of the quartet and the impact of the organization on children. This year my husband and I decided to host an event ourselves, and we thought we could reach a larger audience by hosting the event at the Surf Club.”
The event at the Surf Club is a good way to support Music Haven, but Frey said there is more than one way to support the program and the nearly 80 students who participate.
“The most impactful way is to make a donation, which helps fund the cost of the program and the instruments,” she said. “In addition, you can purchase tickets to any of the Haven String Quartet concerts. The revenue generated from these concerts directly supports the organization.”
Strings on the Shoreline is Sunday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Madison Surf Club. Tickets are $75 per person and include brunch catered by Elizabeth’s Café. All of the proceeds from ticket sales go directly to Music Haven and tickets can be purchased by calling 203-506-7432 or emailing stringsonthesound@gmail.com. To learn more about Music Haven, visit www.musichavenct.org.