CONCERTS AND PERFORMANCESCystic Fibrosis Benefit ConcertConcert Press Release - Concert Photos
The selection process for the charity started at the beginning of the session when the students participated in an event similar to a town meeting, called Charity Night. Students presented to each other causes and charitable organizations that are important to them and explained how they learned about the charities, what needs are met by the organizations and why they feel it is important to support the organizations. 16-year old Plugged In student, Jake Randall, who has Cystic Fibrosis, presented the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Jake talked to the rest of the students about what the disease is, how it has affected his body and his life, his feeding tube, the pills he has to take, how he has diabetes because of CF, what treatments he must undergo, and how despite all these treatments, he often still gets sick. His powerful presentation moved his fellow students and they voted to have their concert be a benefit for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This was the first time Jake had ever told anyone, other than his closest friends, that he had the disease. In conjunction with the concert each session, Plugged In holds a song-writing workshop. The workshop provides students the opportunity to learn more about the charity, learn song-writing techniques from professional song-writers, and write, perform and record an original song for a CD. Chad Urmston, former Dispatch member, current member of State Radio and a supporter of Plugged In, attended the December song-writing workshop and co-wrote and performed a song about Cystic Fibrosis with six-year old Sam Gutwill and his family. Sam and his brothers, Teddy and Jared are triplets. Sam and Teddy have Cystic Fibrosis. Chad and the triplets performed the song at the concert. Click here to watch them perform "Sam's Song". Jake Randall wrote an original song, "My Disease (Everyday)", about his experience living with Cystic Fibrosis. Jake performed "My Disease (Everyday) at the concert, as well. Cynthia Macgowan, associate executive director of the Massachusetts/Rhode Island Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, attended the concert and spoke to the audience about the research being done by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. From the songs written at the song-writing workshop and the photos from the concert and other CFF events, Cynthia created two beautiful montages that are being used to help fundraise for the foundation: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Song-writing workshopPhotos from event - Listen to original songs
Performance at NeedARTS New Year's Eve ConcertConcert PhotosOn December 31, 2007, Plugged In students gave a 3-hour concert to an audience of over 100 as part of the first New Year's Needham event presented by the Needham Cultural Council and NeedARTS. The event was modeled after First Night, a public arts festival held on New Year's Eve in cities around the world. Needham Community Council Benefit ConcertConcert PhotosOn Friday, August 10, 2007, Plugged In held its summer session concert, a benefit concert for the Needham Community Council, at the beautiful Ridge Hill Reservation. The Needham Community Council is a private, multi-service non-profit agency serving the needs of Needham residents. Their motto, "People Helping People." has been well known in the community since its conception in 1930. The Council runs a variety of programs ranging from a medical loan closet, to a food pantry, and even a thrift shop. Their programs have adapted continually over the years but their mission remains the same - to extend hospitality to every individual who turns to them with a need. The Council receives no government funding. They rely entirely on the generosity of Needham residents, community agencies and business owners to support their work. They believe in the power of a neighbor's helping hand. CJ Foundation for SIDS Benefit ConcertPress Release - Concert Photos 1 - Concert Photos 2 - Concert Photos 3 - Concert Sponsors
Recently, the CJ Foundation launched the "SIDS Center Without Walls," a first-of-its-kind SIDS research consortium to speed research and eradicate the threat of SIDS. In July, Plugged In was invited to present the donation from the concert at an event at Children's Hospital in Boston where members of the consortium (researches from Children's Hospital, Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard and Yale) met to discuss their work with the founders of the CJ Foundation. Plugged In student and Youth Advisory Board member, T.J. Pettiglio, spoke to the audience about the concert and how proud he and his fellow students were to support the "SIDS Center Without Walls." CJ Foundation for SIDS Song-writing workshopPhotos from eventListen to original songs
Keep A Child Alive Benefit ConcertPress Release - Concert Photos - Concert Sponsors
Volunteer opportunities in Africa and other countries The concert featured the 17 Plugged In bands, as well as Chad Urmston of the bands Dispatch and State Radio. Joe Matzzie, a Plugged In teacher and singer/songwriter performed a set of his original songs. Plugged In parent and board member, Bruce Lynch, emceed the event, with help from Boston sportscaster, Gary Gillis, who stopped by for a while. Keep A Child Alive Song-writting WorkshopPhotos from the Event Listen to original songs
For the Plugged In concert on January 14, 2007, students chose to raise money for Keep A Child Alive, a charity dedicated to providing life-saving anti- retroviral treatment to children and their families with HIV/AIDS in Africa and the developing world. On December 28 & 30, 2006, some of the Plugged In students participated in a workshop at which they learned more about Keep A Child Alive from KCA College Chapter Leaders and viewed the film, "Living with Slim," a powerful documentary profile of seven African children (ages 6 to 17 years old) who are living with HIV. Later in the day, the students broke up in groups and wrote songs about their reactions and feelings about the film. Plugged In teachers, local singer- songwriters, and a song-writing workshop leader from the Boston-based empowerment organization, Project: Think Different, were on hand to guide the students through the process of identifying their feelings and finding a way to convey those feelings into words and music. Many of the students had never written a song before, and at times the process wasn't easy. There were moments when some groups wanted to give up. But, through teamwork and having the courage to take risks, everyone persevered and the result was the recording of the five songs on this CD. Students also performed the songs at the January 14th concert to benefit Keep A Child Alive. All proceeds from the CD will be donated to Keep A Child Alive. If you would like to purchase a CD, please call Sandra at 781-956-4281 or e-mail srizkallah@comcast.net. The cost of the CD is $10.00. The song-writing workshop was underwritten by a generous grant from the Reed Foundation.Amnesty International / Axis of Justice Benefit ConcertPress Release - Concert Photos - Pre-Concert Potluck Photos
One of the organizations with which Axis of Justice has partnered on multiple occasions is Amnesty International. By Axis of Justice obtaining letters and signatures at rock concerts on behalf of the efforts of Amnesty International, this partnership has resulted in the release of at least two political prisoners from jail. Axis of Justice asked Plugged In to make the concert donation directly to Amnesty International. As a result of sponsorship and a successful silent auction, the "All Rights Preserved" concert raised $2600 for Amnesty International. This donation will help Amnesty International to continue its research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination. The concert was a great success! The 16 Plugged In bands, as well as Boston band, The Charms, gave fantastic performances. Amnesty International's Northeast Regional Director, Joshua Rubenstein, and WFNX news director, Henry Santoro, spoke at the concert. The night before the concert, Plugged In students got together for a potluck dinner with Mr. Rubenstein, members of the Charms, and local activist, Denise Nichols. At the dinner, the students got the chance to learn more in detail about the work of Amnesty International and how to get involved in political activism. Ellie Vee, lead singer of the Charms, spoke to the students about the music industry and the importance of professionalism and commitment in creating a successful band. She also gave them tips on songwriting, how to be a strong and effective bandleader, how to book gigs, and how to find a manager. The kids loved her and would have continued to ask questions till the next day if they could! ABOUT AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AI is independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion. It does not support or oppose any government or political system, nor does it support or oppose the views of the victims whose rights it seeks to protect. It is concerned solely with the impartial protection of human rights. AI has a varied network of members and supporters around the world. At the latest count, there were more than 1.8 million members, supporters and subscribers in over 150 countries and territories in every region of the world. Although they come from many different backgrounds and have widely different political and religious beliefs, they are united by a determination to work for a world where everyone enjoys human rights. AI is a democratic, self-governing movement. Major policy decisions are taken by an International Council made up of representatives from all national sections. AI's national sections and local volunteer groups are primarily responsible for funding the movement. No funds are sought or accepted from governments for AI's work investigating and campaigning against human rights violations. For more information on Amnesty International, please visit www.amnestyusa.org. Elias Fund Benefit ConcertPress Release - MLK Day Photos - Photos1 - Photos2 - Photos3
The concert featured the 12 Plugged In Teen Bands, as well as Zimbabwe music legend, Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited, and Chad Urmston of the band, Dispatch. Known as the “Lion of Zimbabwe,” Thomas Mapfumo has been giving voice to the people of his country for over three decades. He came of age during Zimbabwe’s independence movement, and the struggle deeply influenced his music. His lyrics tackled the injustices of apartheid, racism, and colonialism. His songs of protest, performed in his native Shona language on traditional instruments, gave birth to a new genre of music—Chimurenga (from the Shona word for ‘struggle.’) Since the 1980s, Mapfumo has been an outspoken critic of Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe, which resulted in the banning of his music from the country’s airwaves. But his influence remains strong, and he was named Artist of the Year by the American World Music Awards in 1999, and Zimbabwe’s Person of the Century in the Arts in 2000. Today, Mapfumo lives in self-imposed exile in the U.S. with his family and his band, Blacks Unlimited. In July, 2005 they performed at the LIVE 8 concert in Cornwall, England. The day after the concert, on Martin Luther King day, the Plugged In students had a chance to spend time with Mapfumo, Urmston, and representatives of the Elias Fund and learn about the history of Zimbabwe and the current situation there. This experience had a powerful impact on the students. They asked thoughtful and compassionate questions and were truly moved by what they learned. It was powerful for them to know that, through their music, they were reaching out and helping others. As a result of the great performances of the Plugged In teen bands, Thomas Mapfumo, and Chad Urmston, successful ticket sales, corporate sponsorship, and the generosity of those who volunteered and who bought items at the silent auction, we were able to make a $3,000 donation to the Elias Fund. The entire donation was used to pay college tuition for a young man from Zimbabwe, named Justice Makuni. Justice’s father died of AIDS and his mother makes $5 US a month working as a maid. Justice was the top student in his class in every subject and is committed to a better future for Zimbabwe. We had planned for Simunye, a teen band from Zimbabwe, to perform at
the concert. Unfortunately, we were unable to secure their airfare in
time for the concert. We hope one day to be able to help bring Simunye
to Boston and provide Simunye and the Plugged In students the opportunity
to share their culture and music with each other. Performance at 2005 Needham Business Association Harvest FairOn October 1, 2005, the Plugged In bands performed at the Needham Business Association Harvest Fair. As always, the Plugged In bands drew a large audience of children and adults who are impressed by all the talent!Performance at Kaitlyn Kennedy's Birthday PartyPhotos Letter from Al KennedyOn July 16, 2005, the Plugged In band, Entropy, performed at Kaitlyn Kennedy's annual birthday party. Kaitlyn was the daughter of Al Kennedy, who generously does the sound for the Plugged In benefit concerts at the Regent Theatre. On February 22, 2004, Kaitlyn took her own life at 16 years old. Al and his wife, Kathy, have set up a scholarship fund in Kaitlyn's name, are working to promote awareness of the need for care in treating depression in teens using SSRIs, and continue to have events to celebrate and keep alive the loving memory of their daughter, Kaitlyn Elizabeth. Visit: www.ktksound.com The Entropy band members were very touched by Al's invitation to perform at Kaitlyn's Birthday Party. He has known and enjoyed Entropy for over a year now from doing sound at the Plugged In concerts. Above is a link to the thank you letter from AL Kennedy that was sent out after this summer's party. Performance in 2005 Needham 4th of July ParadePhotosOn July 4th, 2005, the Plugged In bands performed in the Needham 4th of July parade. Unlike the previous year, the weather was perfect! There was a last minute panic, because we did not have a truck for the float, but Negosian Towing Company of Newton stepped in and offered a truck and a driver. At 7 AM on the 4th, the Plugged In students and their parents gathered at the rehearsal space and assembled the float with the beautiful red, white and blue guitars and loaded all the equipment. The crowd loved the bands and the bands did a great job! Performance at Project Concern Youth Dance Company RecitalPhotosThe performance of Plugged In band, SPF, at the Medway Pride Day, so impressed the founder of the Project Concern Youth Dance Company that she hired them to perform at their end of year recital on June 26, 2005. SPF band members, Fred, Chris and Anthony, entertained the audience during the cookout with a rock set and then showed their ability to improvise when they backed up an audience member who wanted to perform an original rap. Project Concern meets with inner-city adolescents four times a week to address their problems by providing an array of classes and workshops around cultural history career exploration in the arts, dance therapy and recreation. The program's 60 member hip-hop dance company has performed throughout New England and at Walt Disney World. Company members range in age from 4 to 20, with an average age of 16. Project Concern, whose motto is "Youth Diversion Through Talent Development," schedules activities during high-crime hours. For more information on Project Concern, please contact Rondae Drafts @ 781-767-0842. Music for Relief Benefit ConcertPress Release Photos
The concert featured spectacular performances from the Plugged In bands, who as always, delighted and impressed the crowd. The concert also featured State Radio, the group formed by former Dispatch guitarist, Chad Urmston (www.stateradio.com); the So and So’s (winner of a 2005 Boston Music Award for Local Album of the Year, www.soandsos.com), and Venus Bullet (www.venusbullet.com), the band formed by Plugged In teacher, Angga Tarmizi. The adult musicians enjoyed hanging out with the Plugged In students back stage and were impressed and inspired by the performances of the Plugged In students. Thanks to the great musicians, supportive audience, corporate sponsors and a silent auction, we were able to donate $1600 to the Music for Relief foundation. When we spoke with Music for Relief regarding the results of the concert, our contact mentioned that this was one of the largest donations they had received from local concerts benefiting their organization! Performance at 2005 Needham Business Association Spring FairPhotosOn Saturday, June 4, 2005, the Plugged In bands performed at the annual Needham Business Association Spring Fair. The NBA has been inviting the Plugged In students to entertain at this event for the past few years. Each band performed one song. It was a great chance for a dress rehearsal before the big benefit concert the following Saturday. Performance at Medway Pride DayPhotos VideosOn May 21, 2005, Plugged In bands performed at the Medway Pride Day. The organizer of the event was looking for some great entertainment to add to the line-up of performers and asked if any of our students would be interested. The kids had a great time playing at the event. One of the bands even had the thrill of fans asking for autographs for the first time! Cam Neely Foundation for Cancer Care Benefit ConcertPress Release Photos
The Plugged In students performed wonderfully. We were so proud of them, both musically and personally. The crew and the professional musicians who performed at the concert were not only impressed with the musical talent of the students, but also what nice kids they are. And, the kids were thrilled to watch and meet the adult musicians, who were so generous to offer their time and talent. Performance in the Needham 4th of July ParadePhotosOn July 4th, 2004, the Plugged In bands performed in the Needham 4th of July parade. During the week before, some of the Plugged In students had fun designing and creating the float - including assembling and painting a 8-foot guitar and 4-foot amp. In spite of rain on the 4th, the parade went on until the end. Even the crowd stayed to watch and cheer. The Plugged In bands were a big hit in the parade. We had a great time - and look forward to next year's parade! I Love Music Benefit concertPress Release PhotosOn June 4th, 2004 the Plugged In Teen Band Program presented a benefit concert for 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. The concert featured four Plugged In Teen bands (ages 11-19), 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, Waka Waka (a semi-finalist in the WBCN Battle of the High School Bands), and an appearance by Walter McCarty of the Boston Celtics. The event was emceed by Dan Andelman, executive producer of the Phantom Gourmet. NFL football star, Doug Flutie, made a special apperance - with his band sitting in for a set. The concert was a huge success - with both performers and audience enjoying the music,musical camaraderie and positive atmosphere coming from giving back to the community. One of the Plugged In students said, "By far, this night will go down as the best night of my life!" Walk for HopePhotosOn Sunday, May 16, 2004, The Plugged In bands performed at The Samaritan's Walk for Hope to Prevent Teen Suicide. All funds raised through the Walk went towards the Samaritans suicide hotline, suicide prevention and education programs. Along with the Plugged In performances, some teens spoke to the crowd about the importance of raising awareness about teen suicide. At the end of the day, The Samaritans presented Plugged In with a Community Service award. We were all glad to participate in the event. It was a very moving and thought provoking experience for the teens, as well as for their parents. Mass Tobacco Free Coalition Benefit ConcertPress Release PhotosOn the night of December 6th, 2003, in the middle of a New England snow storm which brought 30 inches of snow to Needham, Plugged In held a benefit concert for the Mass Tobacco Free Coalition. We think we were the only event in Boston that went on with the show in spite of the snow! With hot chocolate and hot cider, the 6 bands rocked the house. Leslie Nuchow, the featured artist at the concert, drove all the way from New York City in the snowstorm to perform at the concert. She gave a very compelling performance in which she talked about the tobacco industry and sang her heartfelt songs. Seeds of Peace Benefit ConcertPress Release PhotosOn June 6th, 2003 Plugged In held a benefit concert for Seeds of Peace, a camp where Arab and Jewish teenagers come together and learn conflict resolution skills and learn to develop trust and empathy for one another. The concert featured the four Plugged In teen bands, four high school bands, Mary Lahaj- an Arab - American singer/songwriter, and Yom Hadash - an internationally known Jewish rock band. After viewing a compelling video about the Seeds of Peace camp, the audience enjoyed 5 hours of music - ranging from folk, rock, pop, heavy metal and even songs in Hebrew. The concert was emceed by Dan Rabinovitz, a trumpet player in the Solomon Burke Band. The message of the concert of acceptance of people' s differences was felt by all. |
On January 18, 19 & 20, 2008, 19 Plugged In bands performed at "65 Roses", a benefit concert that raised $4100 for the 
On December 29 & 30, 2007, some of the Plugged In students participated in a workshop at which they learned more about Cystic Fibrosis from Matt Gutwill, the dad of 6 year old triplets, Jared, Sam and Teddy. Sam and Teddy have Cystic Fibrosis. Musicians, 
On Saturday, June 9th, 2007, Plugged In presented "Rock the Cradle of Love," a benefit concert which raised $2000 for the 
On May 27 & 28, 2007, some of the Plugged In students participated in a workshop at which they learned more about the work of the 
On January 14th, 2007, Plugged In presented "Global Advisory: Explicit Danger/Stop Aids Now," a benefit concert which raised $2500 for Keep A Child Alive, a charity dedicated to providing life-saving anti-retroviral treatment to children and their families with HIV/AIDS in Africa and the developing world. (www.keepachildalive.org) With 25 million already dead, the disease continues, wiping out whole societies, threatening economic infrastructure and creating tragic devastation in the family structure. There are currently 12 million AIDS Orphans in Africa alone. Anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment has transformed the lives of people with AIDS in the West, returning them from sickness to health. But less than 5% of Africans with AIDS have access to these life-saving drugs. By funding essential initiatives such as providing ARV treatment and services for children and families, nutritional projects, training and employment of health care workers, and the building and expansion of sites where ARV treatment can be made available and AIDS orphans can receive care, Keep A Child Alive is an urgent response to the AIDS pandemic ravaging Africa. Keep A Child Alive recommended the following links for people interested in volunteering in Africa and people interested in learning more about the actions of the pharmaceutical companies in relation to providing medication to those in need.
On June 4, 2006 Plugged In presented "All Rights Preserved: A Benefit Concert for Human Rights and Social Justice." For this concert, the Plugged In students chose to raise money for Axis of Justice, a non-profit organization formed by Tom Morello of Audioslave and Serj Tankian of System of a Down. Its purpose is to bring together musicians, fans of music, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice together. Axis of Justice aims to build a bridge between fans of music around the world and local political organizations to effectively organize around issues of peace, human rights, and economic justice. For more information on Axis of Justice, please visit 
On January 15, 2006 Plugged In presented “I Am
Strong If You Are Strong,” a concert to benefit the youth of Zimbabwe.
Proceeds from the concert were donated to the Elias Fund, started by
the band, Dispatch, to provide hope and opportunity through education
to the next generation of Zimbabwean youth. The vision of the Elias
Fund is to inspire and empower our current youth culture to understand
their global role and help them to make it an active one. The specific
emphasis of the Elias Fund is to grow up our communities to use their
energy, time, and resources to bring about change in Africa. 
On June 12, 2005 Plugged In presented “Setting the Stage for Hope: A Benefit Concert for Tsunami Relief.” Proceeds from the concert were donated to the Music for Relief foundation. Music for Relief is a non-profit organization started by members of Linkin Park, working in partnership with the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity and Unicef, to aid tsunami victims. 
On January 29, 2005 Plugged In held a benefit concert for the Cam Neely Foundation for Cancer Care. The concert, originally scheduled for January 22nd was rescheduled due to a blizzard.the second time there was a blizzard on one of our concert dates! The blizzard did not stop the show. After juggling some peoplešs schedules, finding another band, emcee and photographer, we were able to reschedule for the following week. The concert was a great success. As a result of corporate sponsorship, a successful silent auction and 250 tickets sold (in spite of the snow storm!), we were able to donate $2500 to the Cam Neely Foundation for Cancer Care. We have heard from so many people how much they enjoyed the show.