At the Music Conservatory of Westchester, students learn much more than how to play music; our nonprofit music school also teaches the importance of community. On Saturday, December 12, we will hold our annual Performathon fundraiser, featuring virtual student performances to help support our Scholarship Program.
Typically, Performathon is an all-day community event brought to life by our parent and student volunteers, local vendors and food establishments, donors and sponsors, and the Conservatory’s faculty and staff. This year, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Conservatory decided to bring the experience online.
“We went online out of necessity when the pandemic began, but discovered there are valuable benefits to online learning and performance,” Executive Director Jean Newton said. “It’s so important for students to share their musical accomplishments, and in the virtual world there are no geographic boundaries!”
As a virtual event, the Conservatory is gathering performances recorded by its students and creating an interactive online musical experience for viewers. The performances will be streamed on the Music Conservatory of Westchester’s YouTube channel starting at 5pm on Saturday, December 12. Staff will post live on the school’s Facebook (@MusicConservatoryofWestchester), Instagram (@MusicConservatory), and Twitter (@ConservMusic) accounts during the performances.
Conservatory students of all ages will take to the screens to perform on a variety of instruments and styles of music. Classical, jazz, rock, pop, and musical theatre will be represented in Performathon as students proudly play for their family and friends over computer screens and televisions.
Links to watch the concerts and a full performance program will be available on our website prior to the premiere. Proceeds from this community event will help support the Music Conservatory of Westchester’s Scholarship Program. A suggested donation of $10 is requested to help support our Scholarship Program. Give the gift of music today by donating here: https://app.mobilecause.com/e/xvva3w?vid=dblhj
For nearly 20 years, the Music Conservatory of Westchester has held this event as a fun way to get its student community involved in raising funds for the school, in order to provide the extraordinary benefits of music to all in our community. The Conservatory’s Scholarship Program makes it possible for financially qualifying students to study at the school who might not otherwise have that opportunity.
This year’s virtual Performathon will include dinner and a show! The Conservatory has partnered with Eat4Art, a platform created during the Covid-19 pandemic to connect the arts and food together on a global scale. Eat4Art will be giving double donations between now and Christmas!
“Performathon brings together our musical community to celebrate the accomplishments of our students and to support our mission,” Conservatory Development Officer Aishling Quinn said. “This year’s virtual Performathon provides an increased opportunity for a larger audience compared to previous school fundraising events – and their support will be critically important during this challenging time.”
The Music Conservatory of Westchester raises funds every year to support its Scholarship Program, its Music Therapy Institute for children and adults with disabilities, and its Healing Our Heroes Program for military veterans.
For more information, updates, and video recording guidelines related to Performathon, please visit https://musicconservatory.org/performathon/
Donations to the Music Conservatory of Westchester are also accepted here: https://musicconservatory.org/support-us/donate-now/
