On February 27, students from the music and theatre departments at the Seton Hill Performing Arts Center (SHUPAC) hosted a benefit concert that raised approximately $260. All proceeds will be donated to a charity aimed dedicated to aiding Haiti in rebuilding after the recent earthquakes.
By Karyssa Blair
Contributor
On February 27, students from the music and theatre departments at the Seton Hill Performing Arts Center (SHUPAC) hosted a benefit concert that raised approximately $260. All proceeds will be donated to a charity aimed dedicated to aiding Haiti in rebuilding after the recent earthquakes.
The event was organized by Resident Assistants Alvin Simpson, a junior, and Alex Bruce, a sophomore.
“During RA winter training we did a session where we created our dream floor program and a lot of the people wanted to do something for Haiti,” said Simpson. “While we were doing this, Alex Bruce and myself asked ourselves, ‘Why not actually do something like this?’”
Simpson and Bruce then organized the event with the assistance of Dr. Curt Scheib, the director of the music department. A total of 18 performers and accompanists participated in the concert, playing instruments such as the piano, violin, trombone, drums and guitar, as well as singing. Each participant contributed strictly on a volunteer basis.
“I just wanted to help out,” Samantha Graham, the second performer of the night, said. “It takes a lot of work to put something like this together, and it was for a good cause. It was the least I could do to try and step up.”
The majority of songs performed centered around a common theme.
“We wanted to express the destitute feeling that a traumatic event like the Haiti disaster may cause, but we also tried to capture the sense of hope that also follows such an event,” said Bruce. “It was these two emotions that the majority of the set-list was designed around conveying.”
However, some performances were meant to just be fun, such as the comical rendition of “The Phantom of the Opera” by Rose Kovach and her puppet Phantom.
Other than the common theme, the genre of each song performed varied from songs of the nineteenth century, such as “Die Lotosblume,” to music from the current era, like “Change” by Carrie Underwood.
“I thought that it was a really creative way to raise money for Haiti,” sophomore Erin Nypaver, an attendee of the concert, said.
Bruce and Simpson are still looking to find a charity that will take the proceeds and use them entirely to benefit Haiti.
“We are trying to find some who will double a donation,” said Simpson.
When considering the possibility of holding another similar event, Bruce said, “I feel like if this is the last time Seton Hill ever hosts a benefit concert, we have truly failed.”
The organizing duo hopes another benefit concert will occur in the future.