You’re Invited to (the Replay of) My 49th Birthday Party!

On Saturday, November 7th, at 8:00pm PST, I threw a birthday concert bash to benefit the Jazz Camp West scholarship fund.

The venue was donated, so 100% of the funds I receive (after any payment processing fees) go directly to pay for scholarships to Jazz Camp West.

The concert is over, but click the green button to donate any amount ($5 or more) and you’ll get exclusive access to the video replay!

Scroll down for the backstory…

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The Backstory

I went to Jazz Camp West for the first time in 2006, and have only missed one year since then. (THAT was a mistake… The last week of June is now permanently blocked off on my calendar so I never miss camp again!)

Jazz Camp feeds me so much. It is not only my annual musical fill-up, it’s a loving community, a space that welcomes ALL campers, regardless of experience level.

You’ll find campers with musical and dance chops I couldn’t even hope to acquire, along with rank beginners, and everything in between. There is something for everyone, and it feels like the most loving family.

Wherever you’re at in your journey, Jazz Camp West will stretch you, and you’ll go home changed.

One of the many things I love about Jazz Camp West is their generous work-study scholarship program: approximately 20% of campers receive some sort of financial assistance. Amazing, no?

I have been a scholarship recipient many times, and not only did that enable me to get to camp when I couldn’t otherwise have gone, but the work I did in the work-study program stretched me in new ways, too, ultimately leading to my being asked to teach the Ukulele Orchestra this year!

There is always a silent auction at camp, to raise money for scholarships. This year, thirteen fellow campers banded together to bid on and buy me a performance venue, Avonova, in Oakland, California.

I was so touched by this gesture, and so grateful to Jazz Camp West for ten years of love and music and creative joy, that I knew what I wanted to do with the venue: produce a concert to give back to Jazz Camp West for everything it has given to me!

(Well, there’s probably no way I could give back that much, but hey, it’s a start. 🙂 )

You can help this concert be a roaring success. How? By joining me online or in Oakland, by donating any amount you’re able to contribute (whether or not you attend the concert), and by telling your friends about it and inviting them to come, too!

Squeee! This will be fun!

Please tell your friends, and I hope to see you there!

xo, Melissa