Fundraising in the time of a global pandemic is challenging; there are many great causes needing extra money and people have not been able to attend a traditional fundraising event of any kind.
This meant that we had to reimagine what a fundraiser looks like in 2020. And so, on October 22nd, we went to fully online event called ‘Keep the Music Playing’. It was a 2- hour livestream event from Macquarie Bank’s Martin Place HQ, with music curated by Karen Carey and exceptional performances from some of Sydney’s best young musicians. Along the way we met the kids and parents who benefit from our programs in moving interviews that made us smile and cry in equal measures. The kids performed on Zoom to the delight of everyone.
An auction, brilliantly run by Stuart Gregor added to the fun and engagement on the night.
The power of music education was expertly articulated by our Chair, Dick Letts who summed up the numerous benefits of learning to play an instrument, from improved mental health, better social skills and even improvements in IQ. It was a very persuasive reason to dig deep and support The Symphony for Life Foundation.
And people did dig deep throughout the evening to achieve a good outcome given the challenges of fundraising at the moment. The grand total, including the dollar for dollar matching from The Macquarie Foundation, will provide all the Symphony for Life music programs planned for 2021. The event was organised and MC’d by Mandy Yan and her Macquarie Bank colleagues. We are so grateful for the ongoing support of the Foundation.
Probably the most wonderful side of the event was the amazing support we had from the parents and kids in our programs. They made cookies, lots of cookies, to sell at school. They organised a Bollywood dance marathon; they even did some solo music busking. It underlines that we are about community, good people coming together to make life just a little bit better.
It was a magical night that we will remember for a long time. Thank you to the team who made it so memorable. And thank you to our many supporters who will be keeping our kids playing music in 2021.