As reported in the LA Times “As Southern California awoke to the wreckage from a recent massive windstorm, music teacher Ruben Gonzalez Jr. was assessing a different sort of devastation in his band room at South Gate High School.
Thieves had pried open a door and torn the room apart while hunting for a specific instrument. “All they took were tubas,” Gonzalez said. Losses included an upright concert tuba and a silver sousaphone — or marching-band tuba — worth a combined $13,000”
First of all who does this? Who steals instruments from a school? Who takes things that can’t be replaced.
Because of budget cuts to arts programs in schools, South Gate High School is one of the schools Barry Manilow has donated instruments to as part of the Manilow Music Project. One of the tubas stolen was “an upright concert tuba” donated by Barry.
Thanks to a friend who planted the idea of doing something special in honor of Barry as he recovers from surgery. How about we make donations to the school, in his honor, to help replace the items stolen.
I know we’re all thinking of Barry and wishing him a complete recovery. Lots of us would like to send cards, flowers, candy… but I’m going to go out on a limb and bet what he’d enjoy most is if we put that money toward helping the cause that’s so near and dear to his heart, keeping music alive in schools for our kids.
So what do you say? I’m doing some research to see what we can do. Manilow fans are the best, let’s show the world how much we admire Barry, how many good thoughts we’re sending him.
Helping out the school might just be some of the best medicine Barry could receive; at the very least I’ll bet it will make him smile:)
Isabella
Helen, What a marvelous idea. Let us know what to do!! jane