[Dhsbb-symph] Save the Music in Paradise

Fri Feb 1 13:44:57 PST 2019

Hi all,

Please consider attending and helping out to support our festival. We are hoping to help the band students in Paradise get back on their feet. We currently have verbal support from several major corporate sponsors, but still need financial assistance to help pay for steeply reduced in cost musical instruments.

Many thanks for your consideration. Please share this with everyone you know!

Thomas Slabaugh II

Press Release: Save the Music in Paradise Festival

In light of the tragic Camp Fire, California’s most deadly and costly fire, Davis High School’s Band Director Thomas Slabaugh II will be hosting a “Save the Music in Paradise” festival. This festival will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 16th in the Richard Brunelle Performance Hall and will feature over 350 students in ensembles from the DJUSD and nearby schools, as well as reunite the remaining Paradise Junior High and High School band students to perform in a combined Festival Band. This Festival Band will be directed by Mr. Bob Schofield, longstanding Paradise Band Director of over 20 years and a victim of the Camp Fire.

In addition to the gift of music, the Davis High Band Program will be using this festival as an opportunity to raise needed funds to help the Paradise Unified School District (PUSD) Music Program replace equipment, musical instruments, uniforms and sheet music destroyed by the Camp fire. Monetary donations will be accepted with 100% of these proceeds being donated to the Paradise Music program.

For the last 20 years, music teacher Bob Schofield has been working hard to keep music alive in his community. Despite being one of the many that lost everything, he is still trying to keep music happening in this small, decimated community. In a social media post, this will be the first time in many decades that this town will not have a school music concert.

As reports show, the Camp Fire lasted 17 days and caused 86 known civilian fatalities. The estimated damage from this fire is approximately $16.6 billion dollars, devastating the community of Paradise, California and displacing former residents throughout the Western United States.

This disaster has also caused an educational catastrophe for the former residents of this town. According to news reports and conversations with a PUSD teacher, former students are located throughout the Western United States, relocated after the Camp Fire destroyed several schools, a large portion of the town and most city services to this region. Music services to students in the PUSD are severely impacted and in danger of elimination due to the large expense encountered in restoring or replacing musical instruments, equipment and materials necessary to run a comprehensive, district wide music program.

“You would like to think that since we are back in school things would be normal, but they're not.  I had a student miss a day last week so they could sift through the ashes of what was once their home.  Still, we do our best to keep playing. It's cathartic for our souls.” Paradise Band Director Bob Schofield

We are very excited about bringing the Paradise students together and giving them a gift of music from our small community. The festival will begin at 9:00 a.m. and continue until the final Festival Band begins performing at 5:00 p.m. Currently we are searching public schools throughout Northern California in search of former PUSD Band Musicians. It is our hope that we are able to reunite as many of these students for this event and give them an opportunity to perform together.

“Even though we're in a tiny room, we still get to play music, and that's a lot of fun!” - Joe Lighthall, 8th grade Paradise Band Student

Davis Senior High School (DSHS) band student Kayla Trowbridge stated, “In times of adversity, band has been a place of refuge, support, and joy for me. I hope that bringing the Paradise band students to Davis, our tight knit band can help them rebuild their community.”

DSHS band student Sean West stated, “Ever since I heard of this horrible tragedy, I’ve wanted to do something to help them get back on their feet. This festival is a great start!”

Special thanks goes out to Ink Monkey Wearable Graphics owner Jason Steenbergen for donating 350 festival t-shirts to be worn by festival performers, free of charge.

For more information about ways to help the Save the Music in Paradise Festival, please contact Mr. Thomas Slabaugh II, Band Director at Davis Senior High School, at any of the methods listed below. For information about the Paradise Music program, please contact Mr. Bob Schofield, Music Teacher for the Paradise Unified School District, as listed below.

Corporate and business sponsorships for this festival are gladly accepted.
Contact information:

Save the Music in Paradise FestivalParadise Unified School District
Mr. Thomas Slabaugh II                            Mr. Bob Schofield
Band Director and Festival Coordinator    Music Teacher
Davis Senior High School                          Paradise High School
315 W. 14th Street                                     1000 Fortress Street
Davis, CA 95616                                         Chico, CA 95928
Ph. 916.806.2790                                        Ph. 530.228.1712
Email: tslabaugh at djusd.net<mailto:tslabaugh at djusd.net>                        Email: bschofield at pusdk12.org<mailto:bschofield at pusdk12.org>

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