ON THE TOWN:
No, that was not an earthquake that rocked the Burbank hillside this past Saturday night. It was the Burbank Music Academy that was responsible for all that shakin’ as it presented its Rockin’ for the Hearts 2008 fundraiser concert at the Starlight Bowl.
As the academy’s founder, Don DeSimone, stood in the wings and watched his students take to the stage, he said he anticipated the event would raise more than $20,000. Along with supporting arts education in Burbank schools, the event will also assist the family of Raulito Ochoa, a sixth- grader at John Muir Middle School who has been diagnosed with leukemia, and to support the Heart Institute at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles in memory of Austin Cook, a Muir student who died last year of a heart condition.
“This is a tremendous way to bring the community together to get behind the causes we support,” DeSimone said. “It is also a great opportunity for these kids to show what they can do.”
Saturday’s concert featured more than a dozen bands made up of the academy’s students as young as 9 years old, along with teachers and administrators, including Josh Strobl, Kody Barron, Nicholas Apostolina, Eric Allen and Jared Whaley of The Knuckleheads, Joe Shabshab, Morgan Maloney-Gross, Kayla Stark, Olivia Lora and Breanna Wheeler of West of the Rock-Keys, and Hanah Riva, Danielle Lester, Chase Eiseman-Evans and Marnie Afiff of Tallulah.
Others whose performance made for the concert’s success were Adair Tishler, Mia Viesca, Brennan Flynn, Alec Dekter, Ryan Veres, Danny Murphy, Alex Tarendek, Zach Telcamp, Dylan Gabriel, Alex Rodriguez, Ade Agbayala, Bryan Taylor, Matthew Hiett, India Passucci, Luke and Noah DeSimone, Spencer Grindeaux, Josh Wright, Matt Saavedra, Kevin Mundo, Corey Werden, Ian Bulbenko, Lettie Robles, Taylor Austin, Taylor McDonald, Blake Scott, Raymond Shideler, Sebby Santoro and Ash Hawkins.
Among the special guests who shared the evening’s hosting duties were actor Carlos Alazraqui of Comedy Central’s “Reno 911,” actor Sean Holland, who starred in the ABC sitcom “Clueless,” and Tom Kenny, who provides the voice for SpongeBob SquarePants.
One of the highlights of the evening was a performance by Gary Myrick, of the band Havana 3am, who now teaches at the academy. While preparing for his set, Myrick relaxed backstage with his backup singers Harmony Chamberlain and Josi Kat. As the band Tallulah played, Myrick expressed his pride in the group’s lead singer Danielle Lester, whom he coaches and believes has the potential to be a star.
“This is a big deal for me,” he said. “Tonight I’m a proud papa, of Danielle and all the kids. I feel like I’m passing the torch to the next generation of musicians.”
Among the throngs of family and friends who came out to enjoy Saturday’s concert that was co-chaired by Kim Ashley, Rima Shideler and Dyann Hawkins were Scott and Laura Strobl, Nicole Cranmer, Justine Quinteros, Haley Bradford, Brianna Coblentz, Brooke Goldman and Johanna, Mark and Sophia Bradner.
DAVID LAURELL may be contacted at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.
