MUSIC TO MY EARS Party!

THE PLACE TO BE LABOR DAY WEEKEND - Join us for an irresistible music-centric celebration! This exciting annual event will be a combination of Concert & Saturday Night Party featuring LIVE Bands, DJ, silent auction, raffle prizes, exhibitors, cocktail specials and delicious food menu at a beautiful 29,000 square foot multi-level venue. Created with a focus on discovering local talented musicians while benefiting a very worthy local non-profit music organization - Mix and Mingle in the Magical Moments of Music!

MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT ON STAGE (Performing both cover & original music):

8:30 PM: LEA CAPPELLI – (www.leacappelli.com) – Combining the rich textures of Billie Holiday with the modern day quirky twists of Fiona Apple, Lea’s sound is unmistakably organic. Apart from her amazing music, with renowned acting abilities and a steady flow of high fashion modeling, Lea is an undeniable ‘triple threat.’ Lea truly is one of the more dynamic young performers to emerge in recent years.

9:45 PM: SCOTI*SLATE – (www.scotislate.com) - Aaron Scoti (Lead Vocals) and Lars Slate (Guitar) along with drummer Derek Upton is a sleek, funk rockin' power trio focused on songwriting and musicianship creating a uniquely familiar sound that is undeniably sexy, soulful even danceable. They add a refreshingly distinctive twist to the cover songs they select that complement their own fabulous originals.

All Night: DJ MASURU – One of the Valley’s favorites will be spinning a great blend of Classic & Current well loved music for your listening and dancing pleasure. He’ll be performing before, in between, and after the bands with his hard to find mixes, and out-of-the-box style, always presenting something new.

AMENTITIES:

• $5 Smirnoff Vodka Cocktail Specials

• Signature ‘EAR CANDY’ Vodka Cocktail (proceeds go to the Charity)

• Special Food Menu Available

• Silent Auction

• Vendors/Exhibitors

• Plenty of Self-Parking (street & parking structure across the street from the venue)

THE CHARITY:

Ear Candy Charity is a Tempe, Arizona based non-profit dedicated to fulfilling its mission of Providing Youth Access to Music Education.  Ear Candy impacts youth through three programs; Online Instrument Drives (a web-based service to place donated instruments in low-income music programs), Play it Forward (‘Instrument Drive in a Box’ service learning program for community groups), and BackStage Class (enlightening music based field trips).  To learn more, visit: www.EarCandyCharity.ORG.

SILENT AUCTION & RAFFLE DRAWINGS:

We’ll have some very unique and exciting merchandise for guests to bid on or win. Many of them will be very diverse musical or entertainment treasures such as an Eric Clapton Package which includes DVD, CD, tour t-shirt, and limited edition litho from Crossroads, an autographed guitar from The Fray, a limited "Grease" poster signed by Olivia Newton John and John Travolta, a Jazz Package which includes CDs and tour shirts, Lady GaGa, Taylor Swift, and much more. The chance to participate in our auction and raffles will end at 10 p.m.

FEATURED EXHIBITORS: 

• Society for the Arts is a 501 (c) (3) membership organization established in 1986 for singles supporting theatre, music, arts and culinary in the Phoenix area. Funds are raised through social activities. To learn more, visit www.societyforthearts.org.

• Tri-City Audiology, LLC provides hearing conservation and protection for musicians. We specialize in custom fitted ear molds ad in-ear monitors. We can provide real time measures of sound exposure through dosimetry. To learn more, visit www.tri-cityaudiology.com

• Designated Drivers, Inc. offers business and individuals a sensible alternative to driving while impaired. Their services provide designated drivers to transport clients safely in their own vehicle. Designated Drivers also has a non-profit foundation that raises funds to provide free rides during special holiday seasons and events. To learn more, visit www.designateddriversinc.com

OUR SPONSORS:

Copy Rescue – Jim West – 602.708.0375

Brett Noe Productions - Event Videographer - www.brettnoe.com

Creamy Radio – From the Mainstream to the Indie Scene - www.creamyradio.com

Insight Management – Public Relations & Marketing – 480-951-1882

Kandid Moments Photography - Event Photographer - www.kandidmomentsphotography.com

One Louder Designs – Creatively unique Graphic Design - www.onelouderdesigns.com

THE VENUE:

The Venue of Scottsdale is 29,000 square feet of spacious multi-level, newly renovated live concert facility complete with retractable roof. The Venue is a great combination of elegance and fun and has played host to many national legendary musical artists for the past decade. Their sound system, lighting, staff and service make it one of the best places to rock out to your favorite band. To learn more, visitwww.thevenuescottsdale.com.

ADMISSION (Net proceeds to benefit Ear Candy Charity):

$10 per person with online Advance Tickets: www.ravenevents.com/musictomyears

$15 per person at the door

This event was created, produced, promoted and hosted by www.RavenEvents.com. For more information, call 480.664.0228. You must be 21 years or older to attend.

EVENT WEBSITE LINK: http://www.ravenevents.com/MonthlyEvents/09012012

Why I Chose to Run in 4/4 Time

This is a guest post from one of our Rock the Run participants, Tony Darling. Tony will be running in the P.F. Chang's Full Marathon on January 20, 2013. Support Tony as he trains & fundraises with Ear Candy Charity's Rock the Run Team.

This January I will be participating in my 7^th marathon.  I started running nine years ago as a way to lose weight and get healthy.  I ran a couple of half marathons and decided to move up to the full marathon.  I think my thoughts were similar to most beginner runners:  It should only be twice as hard to run a marathon as a half marathon.  WRONG!!  Well maybe “hard” is a little strong. “Challenging” might be a better word choice.  In 2007 I ran the Chicago Marathon in 90 degree heat and had a great time. (“Great” being a relative term.)  The crowd’s reaction to the 35,000+ runners taking to the streets was so amazing.  Chicago is the only marathon I have participated in that I did not raise money for charity.   I decided to run for charities because I wanted to make the 26.2 mile journey something bigger than myself.  I chose each charity because I personally knew someone whose family was affected by the disease or issue.

This year I chose to run for Ear Candy Charity because it supports an issue and cause that I am very passionate about:  Youth Music.  It allows me to combine two of my favorite things: running and music.  It seems hard to believe but I started playing trombone 38 years back in Aurora, IL.  I remember wanting to play the trumpet but my band director knew I would be getting braces in the future so he thought the trombone might be easier once they were on.  I remember playing “Mambo from the Congo” in my first concert like it was yesterday.  I attended music camps in Junior High and went on to major in Music Business at the University of Southern Mississippi.  

Music has always been a part of my life.  Instead of ringing bells as a kid, my family and friends played Christmas carols at the Salvation Army kettle.  It has allowed me to play before thousands of West Aurora and Southern Miss football and basketball fans as well as perform with my high school jazz band when we were the opening act for Buddy Rich and band.  I have walked in many a parade both in Junior High and High School as well as a member of Legion and community bands.  Most of my closest friends I have are the ones that I performed with during my time in school.

The joy that I get from performing, whether marching on the football field on a Saturday afternoon or in an auditorium is not something you can describe, you have to experience it. (just like running a marathon)  That is why I chose to run 26.2 miles for Ear Candy  I want to give someone else the opportunity to have a chance to make not only music, but memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. 

“Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of it’s virtue.”

-       Plato 

Let Music Be Their Guide

Our latest Backstage Class took place on August 1, 2012, where a group of students had the chance to tour the US Airways Center and meet The Fray. 

After the class, one of our Board members, Maria Brunner, received this email from a student:
"I want to thank you for this amazing opportunity. I really enjoyed your presentation and the time you took out of your busy schedule to see us.

This entire experience was very inspiring for me especially. Seeing a touring band that got famous out of a small town is really going to make me strive to find stardom.The tour itself was also fantastic! I really got a taste of the spectacular things that go on behind the scenes. I think my favorite part of the tour was the ticketing office. I never realized how much work goes into ticketing alone. Overall, the U.S. Airways tour was great.

Finally, my most memorable experience, was meeting The Fray. They were incredibly nice and they answered all the questions in such an enthusiastic way. I really liked the fact they were doing autographs and photos. I even got one with the drummer (which is my instrument) and that was truly exhilarating.

 Once again, I want to thank everyone who put this together, especially Ear Candy Charity, thank you."

"Let Music Be Their Guide" - taken in downtown Phoenix

With the recent launch of our Online Giving Campaign on Indiegogo.com, things at the Ear Candy office have been a little crazy, to say the least. But in the middle of all the madness, this short note from a student served as a great way to remind us exactly why, we do what we do. We strive to fulfill our mission to provide youth access to music education. We want ALL students to have the opportunity to be positively impacted by the benefits that music education provides. But we know we can't do it alone. We are humbled by the amount of support and encouragement we have received so far, but we've still got a long way to go.

We have a short amount of time to reach our goal of $25,000 to support of our Online Instrument Drives Program. We're trying to expand the Ear Candy family. You can help us by:

1) Sharing the campaign with your social networks using the share tools at Indiegogo.com/EarCandy (located directly under the campaign video) - click the 'like' button, type in a personalized message and post to your Facebook.

2) Sending a personalized email or make a phone call to friends, family and colleagues who you think might have an interest in the campaign and would be willing to share it with their networks.

 Remember that every little bit helps. Let's make sure that every child has access to music so the world doesn't lose out on the next John, Ringo, Paul, or George!

Ear Candy on IndieGogo

Our challenge is simple. Ear Candy has 30 days to raise $25,000. We know we can do it, we’re  going to need just a little bit of luck and a whole lot of help. So we’re calling all music teachers, musicians, and music lovers alike to help support Ear Candy’s mission to equip, empower, and enlighten youth through music.

From August 15 to September 14, 2012, Ear Candy will run an online giving campaign on the popular crowdfunding site, Indiegogo (www.Indiegogo.com/EarCandy). There is a good chance that you’ve already heard of  Indiegogo, a fundraising platform that allows individuals or organizations to share their story and raise money to support everything from an independent project, a cause, or a campaign. But Indiegogo is also a place where people can go to get involved in the things they are passionate about and where communities can come together and show their support. At Ear Candy, we’re passionate about providing youth access to music education.

In the past two decades, funding for music education has seen serious cuts nationwide, especially in Arizona. Since 2008, Ear Candy has helped to give new life to old instruments collecting dust in closets and helped to put them in the hands of students who need them the most. Currently thousands of youth in Arizona cannot participate in music education because neither their parents, nor their schools, can afford to purchase or rent an instrument for them to play.

Meeting our goal of $25,000, will ensure they have the funding we need to launch and operate our newest program, Online Instrument Drives. Ear Candy has spent the past year and a half building Online Instrument Drives from scratch on a shoestring budget, hoping to build on the success of their physical instrument collection drives, which resulted in thousands of instruments placed and tens of thousands of students impacted. With their innovative online system, Ear Candy wants to expand their reach where they can place an instrument donated from anywhere in the country in any music program in Arizona.

The benefits of music education, spanning from improved academics across the board to enhanced social skills, are far too numerous to deny any student the opportunity, especially when financial circumstances outside of their control hinder access.We encourage you to learn more about the work that Ear Candy is doing to support access to music education and hope that you will help share this with friends and colleagues. YOUR compassionate support for this campaign will ensure Ear Candy has the funds it needs to launch and operate Online Instrument Drives on September 17th, 2012.

If you’ve been inspired to help but are still unsure about where to start, read our 5 Ways YOU Can Help Ear Candy post for some ideas!

5 Ways YOU Can Help Ear Candy

During the 30 days of Ear Candy’s online giving campaign on Indiegogo (August 15th - September 14th), showing your support for Ear Candy is easier than you think. In fact, it’s so easy that we’ve come up with a list of FIVE ways you can help.

1) Five words
Old instruments get new life! Let these five simple words inspire you. It is Ear Candy’s mission to provide youth access to music education. By reaching our goal of $25,000 we’ll have the funds needed to launch our newest program, Online Instrument Drives. We’ll be able to gather teacher requests and collect instrument donations in quicker and more efficient manner. This will allow us to then place them in the hands of those who need them the most, the students!

2) Five minutes
What we need help with most is making sure that we’re getting the word out about our program and our campaign (http://www.Indiegogo.com/EarCandy). All that takes is five minutes to help Ear Candy. Share your story about why music and music education is important to you.

3) Five of your favorite sites
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Tumblr (did we miss any?). I’m sure the list could go on, so choose your favorite FIVE and post, tweet, and pin to help us get the word out.

4) Five friends
Tell five friends about Ear Candy and our online giving campaign. Get each of them to go and tell five of their friends (who will tell five of their friends) and just keep the message going.

5) Or how about just $5?  
Maybe you can forgo your usual five dollar footlong for lunch or skip that venti vanilla latte this morning. Every dollar counts, so even saving your change from one indulgence out of the week can makes a difference. But if you’re really up for a challenge, try to go FIVE days without it! And don’t forget to tell us what you’re giving up in order to give and we promise to make it up to you with some love on social media.

That’s it. Now wash, rinse, and repeat! Ear Candy’s Indiegogo campaigns runs from August 15, 2012 to September 14, 2012, so for the next 30 days we hope you'll help us make some noise!

5th Annual San Tan Brewing OKTOBERFEST

Dust off your lederhosen, it is that time of the year again.

The 5th Annual San Tan Brewing Oktoberfest is happening on Saturday September 29, 2012 from 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm in downtown Chandler. The festival will be located in AJ Chandler Park across from San Tan Brewing Company at 3 S. San Marcos Place, between Arizona Avenue and Buffalo Street.

What better way then get into the festivities than by being an official Oktoberfest volunteer! You can help with event set up, help at the box office, or work a beverage table giving thirsty patrons their delicious craft beer.

For more details about how you can get involved see our info page on the Ear Candy website: Oktoberfest 2012

A portion of the proceeds raised from the Oktoberfest event will be donated to Ear Candy Charity. Helping out, having fun, and supporting a good cause are all in a day's work. Cheers!

Gearing Up to Rock the Run

I recently became the newest addition to the Ear Candy team. Fresh out of graduate school at ASU, I felt eager and excited to become a contributing member of the organization and was more than ready to hit the ground running. Well, I soon found out Ear Candy Charity became one of the official charities of the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon & Half Marathon, taking place Sunday January 20, 2013. So what better way to hit the ground running than, well, to be literally running?

I have had every excuse in the book to not have run a half marathon in the past, obviously because "I'm not a runner." Oh, and you know, "I just don't have time." On top of which, "I'll never be able to fundraise that much". And my personal favorite, "I hate running!"

This time, I’m out of excuses because I’ve decided to run the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona half marathon not only for myself but in support of music education. As part of Ear Candy Charity's Rock the Run team, it will be 12 weeks of training combined with fundraising. I’ve never run a half marathon before, but knowing that all the funds I raise will be going towards helping Ear Candy’s programs to support youth have access to music education, just might be exactly what I need to help get me through all 13.1 miles.

If you want to join me and Rock the Run with Ear Candy, check out our web page for all the details about the race and program: Ear Candy Charity - Rock the Run. 

As part of the Ear Candy team, you'll get:

• 4-months optional race training
• Nutrition and hydration support to ensure injury free training
• An official Ear Candy Team Shirt 
• A Dri-Fit Ear Candy team jersey to wear on race day
• Invitation to a complimentary team pasta dinner two nights before the race

Throughout the 12 weeks of training, I'll be posting updates about the Rock the Run team. So stay tuned and follow along, and hopefully we'll see you at the start line!

CMAS Rocks Hard at the Hard Rock

In partnership with CMAS, the Contemporary Music and Sound Program at Arcadia High School and the Hard Rock Cafe, Ear Candy is proud to present the CMAS Rocks Hard at the Hard Rock concert series. This monthly concert series kicked off on July 29, 2012 and will continue every last Sunday of each month.

The next concert series will take place on Sunday August 26, 2012 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm at the Hard Rock Cafe (3 South 2nd Stree #117 Phoenix, AZ 85004).

A donation of $5 is suggested at the door (but any students with a valid school ID are free!)

Be sure to like us on Facebook and look out for up-to-date event info: http://on.fb.me/NoKB3I