The music is opening up doors for other stuff
Fourteen-year-old Tommy Fleming didn’t know playing rock ‘n’ roll could be so good. That was before he learned to play jazz.
He didn’t know jazz could be so good, either. That was until he joined the YMCA Center for the Creative Arts, an after-school program of the YMCA of the Greater Tri-Valley. The program is dedicated to creating music opportunities for school-aged children.
Since 2003, the program has allowed students such as Fleming to collaborate with dozens of renowned musicians, including Brian O’Neal of The Bus Boys (known for the 1980s song “Boys Are Back in Town”), Denise Morgan of the Marvelettes, Jennifer Warnes, Bill Medley and a host of New Orleans jazz musicians.
CDs of those collaborations are being engineered, and a fundraising gala will take place at 6 p.m. today at The Beeches with entertainment by Brian O’Neal and YCCA instructors.
Rome is special
O’Neal’s involvement in the program began about a year ago. He thought his mentorship and recording would be a one-time gig.
“I didn’t wake up one day and say ‘I think I’ll go to Rome, N.Y.,’” he said.
But there was something about Rome, something about its children and something about the YCCA’s dedication to those kids that turned that one-time gig into an ongoing effort.
“Rome is special,” said O’Neal, who now is leading much of the engineering of the CDs being recorded. “How much people are involved with one another and how much they support each other. When you see that close-knit thing happening, it’s infectious. Rome has some uncommon treasures … one of which is Mr. (Hank) Leo.”
Fourteen-year-old Tommy Fleming didn’t know playing rock ‘n’ roll could be so good. That was before he learned to play jazz.
He didn’t know jazz could be so good, either. That was until he joined the YMCA Center for the Creative Arts, an after-school program of the YMCA of the Greater Tri-Valley. The program is dedicated to creating music opportunities for school-aged children.
Since 2003, the program has allowed students such as Fleming to collaborate with dozens of renowned musicians, including Brian O’Neal of The Bus Boys (known for the 1980s song “Boys Are Back in Town”), Denise Morgan of the Marvelettes, Jennifer Warnes, Bill Medley and a host of New Orleans jazz musicians.
CDs of those collaborations are being engineered, and a fundraising gala will take place at 6 p.m. today at The Beeches with entertainment by Brian O’Neal and YCCA instructors.
Rome is special
O’Neal’s involvement in the program began about a year ago. He thought his mentorship and recording would be a one-time gig.
“I didn’t wake up one day and say ‘I think I’ll go to Rome, N.Y.,’” he said.
But there was something about Rome, something about its children and something about the YCCA’s dedication to those kids that turned that one-time gig into an ongoing effort.
“Rome is special,” said O’Neal, who now is leading much of the engineering of the CDs being recorded. “How much people are involved with one another and how much they support each other. When you see that close-knit thing happening, it’s infectious. Rome has some uncommon treasures … one of which is Mr. (Hank) Leo.”
For more information contact All About Jazz.
