[BRIEF] Save Our Musicians Foundation Officially Donates $200,000 to the School

Juliana Defilippo and Makena Senzon • 92 Views

January 21, 2024

Expressing her gratitude for founder and CEO of the Save Our Musicians Foundation Dennis Cunningham, Principal Blake Bennett explains how his donation will go toward a number of school issues, including fixing the DSOA Today teleprompter.

Sofia Hennessey-Correa

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Vocal senior London O’Brien shares her experience as a performer at the Luke Bryan charity concert. O’Brien explained how she got to see what went on behind the scenes and how she wondered if she got to “sit in the same stool that Luke Bryan might (have).”

Sofia Hennessey-Correa

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Listening to students share their experiences as volunteers, press, and performers at the Luke Bryan concert, Principal Blake Bennett, SOAFI Major Gifts Officer John Richards, and SOAFI CEO Dr. Christopher J. Snyder laugh as they hear London O’Brien’s story about her almost sitting in “Luke Bryan’s stool.”

Sofia Hennessey-Correa

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The third period jazz ensemble and members of the Luke Bryan concert student volunteer team applaud as Mr. Cunningham enters.

Sofia Hennessey-Correa

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Vocal sophomore Sage Duke sings “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, one of the pieces she performed at the Save Our Musicians Foundation Luke Bryan charity concert. Mr. Cunningham asked her to sing it again so he could share a recording with a music agent he knew.

Sofia Hennessey-Correa

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Mr. Cunningham prepares to officially give BAK Middle School of the Arts Foundation executive director Susy Díaz Piesco the donation they received from the Save Our Musicians Foundation’s Luke Bryan charity concert.

Sofia Hennessey-Correa

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Dennis Cunningham, founder and CEO of the Save Our Musicians Foundation, returned to campus to present Principal Blake Bennett with a check for $200,000 following the Luke Bryan charity concert.

At the presentation, Cunningham also gave Executive Director of the BAK Middle School of the Arts Foundation Susy Díaz Piesco $50,000. Students shared their experiences regarding the concert and thanked Cunningham and Save Our Musicians for their contributions to both schools.

“These dollars, yes, they impact our children, but (with) the impact you’re having on our local community, you’re providing employment, income, and dollars to local musicians and to local arts professionals that actually come in and work with our students,” Díaz Piesco said, addressing Cunningham during a speech of gratitude. “This impact is so much more profound than anything you know.”

Cunningham announced that the Save Our Musicians Foundation is planning on working with different artists to host future events to benefit both schools, including this year’s Sunfest, where students will get an opportunity to participate in the Open For An Icon competition.

The next Save Our Musicians Dreyfoos Fundraiser Concert is yet to be announced but will feature a singer who sells out multi-day stadium concerts according to Cunningham.

Click here to read more about the Luke Bryan Concert.

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About the Contributors

Juliana Defilippo, Web Managing Editor

Juliana DeFilippo is a third-year staffer and Website Managing Editor on The Muse. In her free time, she loves to read, watch movies, and do crossword puzzles (her record for the NYT Mini is 16 seconds, a fact she likes to share). She has also become an avid NPR listener ever since inheriting a car with no Bluetooth. When she is at home with access to Bluetooth, she loves listening to folk and alternative music. She's looking forward to spending her last year on The Muse telling and promoting important stories!

Makena Senzon, Print Managing Editor

Makena Senzon is a third-year staffer and print managing editor on The Muse. When she is not writing or editing stories, she may be working by her garden, thinking about her next adventure, or reading books across genres (anything from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to National Geographic’s Trees of North America). Benjamin Franklin once said, “Either write things worth reading or do things worth the writing,” this year, on and off The Muse, Makena strives to do both.