Angela Perley & The Howlin’ Moons contributed to Music Loves Ohio’s ‘A Not So Silent Night’ Christmas album released Nov. 5.
Credit: Courtesy of Kevin James.
Local musicians are gearing up this season of giving with a Central Ohio organization to raise funds for the next generation of musicians.
Music Loves Ohio is a nonprofit organization that hosts after-school programs for kids between 7 and 12 years old, provides instrument grant programs for 12 to 18-year-olds and tuition grants for summer music camps. The organization looks forward to hosting its largest benefit concert yet, said Matthew Crumpton, co-founder and treasurer of Music Loves Ohio.
The Music Loves Ohio Benefit Concert is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Lincoln Theatre.
Since its founding in 2008, the annual year-end holiday shows coupled with happy hour events throughout the year have helped Music Loves Ohio raise the money it needs to pave the way for musically inclined youth.
“Most of the funds that we raise are from events,” Crumpton said. “We do not have a large benefactor, we do not have any individuals giving us large grants, we’ve had a handful of $1,000 grants from organizations so that typically is how we raise funds every year.”
Besides hosting the benefit concert on a larger scale, the organization also released its first Christmas album titled “A Not So Silent Night” Nov. 5, featuring artists performing on the day of the concert.
Artists that partook in creating this album include Jared Mahone, Red Wanting Blue, The Floorwalkers, The Regrettes, The Wet Darlings, EOP, Post Coma Network, Forest & the Evergreens, The Winnie Cooper Project and Angela Perley & The Howlin’ Moons, all of whom did not expect monetary compensation, Crumpton said.
Angela Perley, frontwoman of Angela Perley & The Howlin’ Moons, said musical education cutbacks in schools have inspired her and the band to give back.
“I think that if we can’t have (music classes), it’s a disadvantage,” Perley said. “That’s our main purpose of doing it. We thought it was really important.”
Besides these artists, Jerry DePizzo, producer of “A Not So Silent Night” and saxophonist of rock band O.A.R, has also been involved with the various fundraising opportunities by Music Loves Ohio since 2008.
To DePizzo, the charity aspect of these projects draws him back to working with Music Loves Ohio time after time.
“The charity and the cause hits close to home,” DePizzo said. “Providing musical resources for kids, nurturing talent in the community around you, it’s one of those organizations that you can trust that whatever efforts you put forward, or whatever funds that you raise are absolutely 100 percent going to a good cause.”
This year, the organization awarded $8,500 in instrument and tuition grants when donations from external sources only added up to less than $1,000, Crumpton said.
Crumpton said in previous years when the benefit shows were held in Woodland Taverns, approximately 250 people showed up and Music Loves Ohio raised between $2,500 and $5,000.The organization anticipates having more funding at the end of this year after the benefit concert, which is set to be held at the Lincoln Theatre, a larger venue that can hold 582 people.
The Lincoln Theatre on 769 E. Long St. Tickets are available for purchase through Ticketmaster, and prices vary per seating and time of purchase.
