LET THE MUSIC PLAY HOPES TO KEEP MUSIC ALIVE FOR KIDS Benefit concert brings together local Boston and teen bands to support music education for kids On June 4th, the Plugged In Teen Band Program will present Let the Music Play, a benefit concert at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA, The concert will support the I Love Music Foundation, started by Walter McCarty of the Boston Celtics, to promote music opportunities, resources and education for Boston youth, and Bring Back the Music, a Young Audience of Massachusetts program providing weekly instrumental instruction to fourth and fifth grade students at Boston Public Schools. Plugged In is a non-profit organization providing music education and instruction to teenagers interested in starting a rock band and performing in a concert. As the music industry is dominated by business, money, success and fame, Plugged In aims to infuse their students' music experience with social consciousness by using the final concert as a benefit to support causes important to them. Plugged In also teaches young musicians about the importance of giving back to the community by having the final concerts be fundraisers for different social causes/organizations. "Every kid should have some sort of music education to be able to create music they love," said Will Radin, a 6th grader at Oak Hill Middle School in Newton and Plugged In band member. "A lot of kids out there want to pursue music but can't," said Walter McCarty. "The I Love Music Foundation helps kids go to band camps and take lessons, and so that schools that can't afford instruments can get the money to buy them. Having teens work to support this effort shows just how powerful music can be." Let the Music Play will feature three Boston bands: Clarias, Making It Right, Missing Joe (nominated for Best Club Band/Best Live Show, 2004 Boston Music Awards); Boston singer/songer writer Noam Weinstein, and six teen bands including The Eskapade (winner of the 2004 WBCN Battle of the High School Bands), Waka Waka (a semi-finalist in the WBCN Battle of the High School Bands), four Plugged In teen bands (ages 11-19), and an appearance by Walter McCarty. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students, and can be purchased by calling the Regent Theatre @ 781-646-4TIX (4849) or online at www.regenttheatre.com. The Plugged In 2004 summer session will run from July 12-August 13. Classes are two hours and meet twice a week. Registration will be on Sunday, June 27th from 5-7 PM at 60 Dedham Ave. in Needham. For more information, please call 781-956-4281 or e-mail srizkallah@comcast.net or visit www.pluggedinband.org. About the Plugged in Teen Band Progam Plugged In Teen Band Program was established in 2002 by Tom Pugh and Sandra Rizkallah. Pugh, Berklee alumni and musician for 30 years, is the music director for the Plugged In program. He is a member of two Boston-based bands and has played at the Montreal Jazz Festival. He has also been an engineer at WGBH in Boston for over 20 years. Sandra Rizkallah has a degree in film and television from Emerson College, has produced her own documentaries and has worked in the post-production department of NOVA at WGBH. About I Love Music Foundation The I Love Music Foundation was founded by Walter McCarty in 2002 as a means for Walter to support the growth of music for inner-city youth in Boston, as well as his hometown of Evansville, IN. Their mission is to expose children to music and its many benefits. About Bring Back the Music Bring Back the Music is an in-school program designed by Young Audiences of Massachusetts, providing weekly instrumental music instruction to fourth and fifth grade students in the Beethoven and Ohrenberger Elementary Schools in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. The goals of this program are to make music instruction an integral part of learning for these children, to enhance their ability for creative expression, and to provide opportunities for these underserved youth to have access to the performing arts - both as participants and as audience. Photos CONCERT menu