Pith in with Music!
Pitch In with Music! Article written by Arny Bailey Back to Cover
Growing up in my suburban ________
San Diego home, there was rarely a time when the TV was not on. There were a few regular TV shows that Dad seemed to watch religiously; Laugh In, The Smothers Brothers, All in the Family, The Match Game, and of course each Sunday night was filled with Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom (“Jim will now grab the T-Rex by the tail while I sit in my enclosed air ______
conditioned booth back at the studio”) and The Wonderful World of Disney. Although these captured our attention weekly, they were not as heavily anticipated as the Olympic Games and the yearly ritual of watching The Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon.
As a kid, I really wasn’t aware of any other “charities” but MD. I’m sure there were, but none garnered the press ___
and publicity of those little wheel chair bound tykes that desperately needed our money to save them. Hollywood elite donated (at least I think they donated) their time and talent to the worthwhile cause and provided non-stop entertainment for potential contributors. Let’s face it, it was/is a great show for a great cause…but it just isn’t what it used to be.
Diluted by the plethora of illness bearing charities out there, I’ve lost track of “The Telethon” and am surprised when I’m surprised to land on it during my morning Labor Day channel surfing ritual. “Oh yeah, the Telethon’s on.” Out of loyalty, I watch it for a few minutes but not recognizing any of the stars of today, I move on. I mean what ever happened to groovy cats like Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra….oh yeah, they’re dead.
Here it is, decades later and every charity out there has their own version of “The Telethon” to solicit donations on behalf of their cause. Aids, Breast Cancer (not to mention all forms of ____
Cancer), Diabetes, Cystic Fibrosis, MS, ALS, Erectile Dysfunction….the list seems endless. With all these opportunities for volunteer work, it’s no wonder musicians have pitched in with their own cause(s) to lead?
We’ve all seen the TV commercial sporting rock music’s royalty
Steven Tyler, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Dee Snyder (who, in my personal
opinion could only be considered a court jester of the royalty) and others
for the VH1
Rock Autism campaign Hat’s
off to these gents for using their celebrity status to promote awareness
and even solicit funds for a growing problem. Jerry would be proud.
On a more local front, there are several Weekend Musicians out there who have decided to lend their regional celebrity status and time to help with a specific cause. Donn Bennett of Donn Bennett Drum Studio heads an annual event called The Woodstick Big Beat to raise money for research into hearing loss (ironic). Bob Tomberg, musician and manager of Shelly and the Curves, runs Music Aid Northwest, a non-profit organization who provide funds for people in need by bringing business and community organizations together with the talent and resources of the Northwest music industry.
Nationally, MusiCares®, established in 1989 by The Recording Academy, provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. The “heart and soul” of MusiCares is the Emergency Financial Assistance Program. With a commitment to providing help to those in need as quickly as possible, this program provides assistance for basic living expenses.
In this issue, I have asked the leaders of these three philanthropic ventures to enlighten us all on their how they are using music to further awareness and solicit donations. These and others have graciously volunteered their time and talents and deserve our respect for doing something beyond themselves and in behalf of others. Even if you’re unable to head such an undertaking, you can at least be involved in someone else’s.
Arny W. Bailey
Editor
MEET THE WRITER - ARNY BAILEY
President of In Form, Inc. Media Design and Chief Editor of Weekend Musician is a licensed architect practicing in the Pacific Northwest and weekend musician currently fronting ABOUT FACE, a classic rock cover band and The Grand Delusion a Tribute to the music of Styx and Journey.
