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.

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.

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.

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.

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.