The Marywood chapter of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) will host a charity concert on March 20 at 5:00 p.m. where local musicians can showcase their abilities while raising money for a cause.

This will be the second time that the organization has hosted a charity concert. The trio of music education majors spearheading this event includes Senior Amanda Murphy, Sophomore Ashley Rusinko and First-Year Ellie Vito.

Murphy explained that the most challenging part of planning this concert has been deciding on a theme.

“We want to keep coming up with fresh ideas that will get people excited about the event; however, we always want to make sure that music remains at the forefront,” said Murphy. “We ultimately decided to go with a neon-glow theme.”

The concert will feature any musician who would like to perform. There are no restrictions on genre or instruments. Rusinko explained that she hopes the variety of music at the concert will inspire attendees to expand their playlists.

“When you come to the concert, you are exposed to so much music that you otherwise may not have heard about,” said Rusinko.

Anyone interested in performing at the concert must contact the organization at [email protected] by March 16.

Although the last concert was outdoors, this time the concert will occur in the Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts. Despite the venue change, Vito explained that she believes the event will run smoother this time.

“It was challenging last time trying to set up and choose a place to have it,” said Vito. “This time we know what to expect and what we have to do. So, we think it will be a little easier this time.”

The organization donated proceeds from the previous charity concert to the national organization Little Kids Rock. Murphy explained that this time all proceeds will go to a local music program.

“Local music is really going to be our focus with this [concert], especially because of the hit that they’ve taken due to COVID,” said Murphy.

Murphy explained that the organization has not yet selected a charity. Instead, they will decide on a charity after reviewing the number of donations.

Rusinko said she hopes the donations will have a significant impact on the program the organization chooses.

“The fact that we can do something to help contribute to a local program and help to build them up is really exciting,” said Rusinko.

The organization will accept cash donations as well as any donations made through their Venmo account, @MUNCC.

As a result of COVID-19, the organization will take various precautions. All attendees will be required to wear masks, and social distancing will be enforced. Additionally, volunteers will be on hand to wipe down instruments and the stage after each performance.

Although there will be a limit on the number of attendees, due to COVID-19, there will be a live stream available for those that can not attend the event.

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Twitter: @BrianaRyanTWW