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Event Details

Community Engage Evenings

Overview

  • At the beginning of each Band Class Session, we hold a Community Engage Evening at which students present to each other charities and causes that are important to them.

  • Students explain how they learned about the charities, what needs are met by the organizations and why they feel it is important to support the organizations.

  • Also during the evening, an adult whose work involves using the arts to effect social change speaks with the students.

  • At the end of the evening, students vote to determine the recipient charitable organization for the concert.

Social Consciousness

  • One of the most important aspects of Plugged In is the emphasis placed on showing students how they can use music to better the world.

  • The concerts at the end of each session raise money for charitable organizations chosen by the students.

  • Our goal is to provide role models for the students of ways to include philanthropy in their lives and careers.

Community Performances

  • Plugged In students are invited to perform at many community and non-profit organization events, such as:

    • 4th of July Parade

    • Needham Street Fairs

    • New Years Needham Celebration

    • Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

    • Walker School

  • These performances are optional and voluntary.

  • Students can perform with their bands, by themselves and/or with students from other bands.

Benefit Concert Series

  • At the end of each session, students participate in three evenings of performances.  

  • Regardless of whether a student is on stage or in the audience during a performance, electricity and excitement is felt in the air.  

  • Students performing feel like professional musicians and the students in the audience cheer them on and support the performers.  

  • Tickets and swag are sold during the evening and the profit is donated to the charity chosen during the Community Engage Evening.

Summer Camp Performances

Community Engage

  • One of the most important aspects of Plugged In is the emphasis placed on using music to better the world.

  • Plugged In models this concept by turning the “recital” at the end of each session into a benefit concert for a charity chosen by the students.

  • Our students choose that charity at Community Engage.

Harvard Square Busking

  • Students bring their music straight to the public during this offsite performance. 

  • Busking gives our students a unique and fun performance experience.

Summer Benefit Concert

  • This is the performance we work so hard for each session.

  • Students perform with their bands for friends and family while raising awareness and funds for the charity of their choice.

Annual Benefit Concerts

Capital Campaign

  • Each year we hold two fundraisers to help support Plugged In.  

  • Sometimes we have corporate sponsored events played in an exciting public performance space.

  • Sometimes we host professional bands and host an event.

  • Beginning in the fall of 2013 we launched phase 1 of our Capital Campaign to raise funds to buy a permanent home for Plugged In.  

  • During our first, silent phase, we raised over $100,000 to make the purchase.  

  • Now, having moved in and running classes, phase 2, our public phase, will begin.  

  • Our goal is to raise another $300,000 over the next two years through private donations and other means.  

To receive information on our campaign please reach out to sandra@pluggedinband.org.

Upcoming Events

  • Youth Board Meeting
    Multiple Dates
    Wed, Mar 29
    Needham
    Mar 29, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM EDT
    Needham, 40 Freeman Pl. Needham, MA 02492
    Join your Plugged In friends and bandmates for our Youth Board meeting where we'll work together to make our communities and our program an even better place!
  • Weekly Online Open Mic
    Multiple Dates
    Sat, Apr 01
    Zoom
    Apr 01, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
    Zoom
    Performers can play songs solo or to a track. Performers can sing, play their instrument, read poetry, tell us their favorite G-rated jokes, or dance. Even if you don’t want to perform we encourage you to join and watch! We hope to see you there.
  • Spring Holiday Break - No Band or Music Tech Classes
    Apr 03, 12:00 AM – Apr 09, 11:50 PM
    Plugged In Band Program, 40 Freeman Pl, Needham, MA 02492, USA
    Enjoy your break! There are no band or music technology classes during break times. Private lessons can still take place depending on student and teacher availability. Please contact your instructor directly to confirm lessons during break times.
  • Spring Break - No Band or Music Tech Classes
    Mon, Apr 17
    Plugged In Band Program
    Apr 17, 12:00 AM – Apr 23, 11:50 PM
    Plugged In Band Program, 40 Freeman Pl, Needham, MA 02492, USA
    Enjoy your spring break! There are no band or music technology classes during break times. Private lessons can still take place depending on student and teacher availability. Please contact your instructor directly to confirm lessons during break times.
  • Last Day of Spring Session Classes 2023
    Thu, Jun 15
    Plugged In Band Program
    Jun 15, 12:00 AM EDT
    Plugged In Band Program, 40 Freeman Pl, Needham, MA 02492, USA
    Plugged In's Spring Session programming has officially wrapped up! We hope to see you at the concerts on June 16th and June 17th.
  • Day 1 - Spring Session Benefit Concert and Showcase (6/16/23 – 6/17/23)
    Jun 16, 6:00 PM – 10:30 PM EDT
    Needham VFW, 20 Junction St, Needham, MA 02492, USA
    Join us for a two day music extravaganza where 25+ Plugged In bands will be performing to raise awareness and funds for a charity they will choose later during the session.
  • Day 2 - Spring Session Benefit Concert and Showcase (6/16/23 – 6/17/23)
    Jun 17, 6:00 PM – 10:30 PM EDT
    Needham VFW, 20 Junction St, Needham, MA 02492, USA
    Join us for a two day music extravaganza where 25+ Plugged In bands will be performing to raise awareness and funds for a charity they will choose later during the session.
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