Look To The Stars News: Nordoff-Robbins

Bryan Adams Foundation Holds An Evening Of Opera

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:30:00 -0000

The Bryan Adams Foundation held its inaugural fundraising event, An Evening of Opera and Picnic, last month on the lawns of The Royal Hospital, Chelsea in London.

The Foundation was set up by Bryan Adams to improve the quality of people’s lives around the world, and aims to achieve this by providing financial help and support to those people who are committed to bettering the lives of other people, by providing grants to finance specific projects.

A 4 course picnic, donated by Michelin star chef Gordon Ramsay and eaten on rugs to the accompaniment of music by The Pavao Quartet, was followed by a performance of Opera in the hospital’s chapel sung by the Jette Parker Young Artists from the Royal Opera House, who sung pieces by Puccini, Bizet, Mozart, Verdi and others. Critically acclaimed UK violinist, Charlie Siem, also performed on the evening during the second half.

Adams performed as well, opening the concert singing a duet with the soprano Anita Watson: ‘Love Unspoken’ by Lehar. The evening concluded with a performance of ‘All for Love’ by the entire cast.

The funds raised from the event will support two projects. The Chelsea Pensioners’ Appeal, which is raising funds to modernize parts of The Royal Hospital – a home for around 300 veteran soldiers – and Switchback, which helps young offenders rebuild their lives when they come out of prison.

The evening was sponsored by Phonak, a leading and innovative hearing solutions provider, who are committed to supporting events that celebrate music and help emphasise the importance of good hearing.

The Bryan Adams Foundation was established in 2006, and has given grants to IIMPACT – an organization whose aim is to educate more girls in India – as well as to Brad Pitt’s Make It Right, Build It International, Nordoff-Robbins, the Gaza Emergency Appeal, the Breast Cancer Haven in London and many more.

Presently all fundraising is done through Bryan Adams’ photography and with private donations associated with photography. For more information, click here.

Big Stars To Hit The Stage Again At Rockwell

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:30:00 -0000

In 1990 some of the world’s biggest musicians put on one of the most important gigs of all time.

In aid of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy, the event at Knebworth featured the likes of Robert Plant, Pink Floyd and Paul McCartney. An incredible line-up of former Silver Clef award winners performed to 120,000 fans in a show that raised over three million pounds.

Now nineteen years later a new generation are set to do it again at the O2 arena. Rockwell promises to be the star-studded musical event of the year with some of the world’s most influential musicians sharing a stage with the best of UK talent.

For one night only – September 11 – Rockwell will bring together some of the world’s biggest bands and musicians. Performing never-to-be-repeated collaborations at The O2 will be Ronan Keating, Lulu, Razorlight, Joss Stone, David Gray, Tom Jones, Robert Plant, Gabriella Cilmi, Supergrass and many more.

Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy is the UK’s largest specialist music therapy charity, providing over 35,000 therapy sessions a year through its National Centre in London and over 40 outreach projects nationwide. It also runs postgraduate training programs in music therapy and a research program with regular public courses and conferences.

Proceeds from the show will be donated to Nordoff-Robbins, and O2 customers will benefit from an exclusive priority ticket period on 3rd and 4th August, followed by a general release ticket sales period for non-O2 customers on Wednesday 5th August. To find out more and purchase tickets, click here.

Take That Wins Award And Donates To Charity

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British boy band Take That has made a major donation to charity following winning a coveted award during the weekend.

Singer Gary Barlow announced they would be giving £50,000 to Nordoff-Robbins, the UK’s leading independent provider of music therapy service, after they took home their second Silver Clef award at the Intercontinental Hotel in London on Friday.

Hosted by Denise Van Outen, this year’s Silver Clef event raised more than £400,000 for the charity. As well as some memorable performances, the event featured an auction of one-off music memorabilia items, including a one-off Mini Cooper designed by former Silver Clef recipient Paul Weller, and a £10 note signed by Take That that was sold for £2,000. The annual event has raised over £7.5m for Nordoff-Robbins over the years.

Also honored at the awards were Queen, Brian Wilson and Madness.

Buy Guitar String Bracelets And Support Charity

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Music fans now have the chance to wear their love of Rock on their sleeves for charity.

Wear Your Music is a New York-based organization that creates 100% eco-friendly jewelry that rocks – literally. The company makes used guitar strings from artists spanning the musical spectrum into stylish bracelets. 100% of the proceeds from the bracelets goes to charities of the artists’ choice, such as UNICEF, Rock the Vote, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Nordoff-Robbins, MusiCares, PETA, HeadCount, The Nature Conservancy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Keep A Child Alive, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Smile Train and many more.

Over 150 musicians have personally donated guitar strings to the initiative, including Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Metallica, Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Ben Harper, Avril Lavigne, Carrie Underwood, Carlos Santana and Death Cab for Cutie.

“These are strings that these musicians have used and would normally throw away,” says co-president and designer Hannah Garrison, “It’s great that we can recycle them and also offer people a chance to wear rock n roll on their wrists.” In addition, the fine silver used on each bracelet is also 100% recycled, as is the DVD case each bracelet comes in. “Supporting good causes and the environment have always been important, but even more so now.”

To check out the bracelets and make a purchase, visit the official Wear Your Music website.

Bacon Brothers To Play Hard Rock LA Tonight

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actor Kevin Bacon will join his brother Michael onstage in LA tonight, March 26, for a musical performance for charity.

The Bacon Brothers – who have been performing together since 1995 and recently released their fifth album, New Years Day – will appear as part of Hard Rock Cafe’s March On Stage program, an initiative about helping people who make a difference and giving back to those people that give so selflessly of themselves. Some of the proceeds from the show will go to Musicians on Call and Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy.

“I like risks,” said Kevin. “And there’s nothing more risky about being a well known actor and playing in a rock band.”

The show kicks off at 8pm at the Hollywood Hard Rock Cafe, with tickets costing $25 for general admission, or $100 for a meet-and-greet that includes an autographed CD, a March On Stage pin, and VIP All-Access card. Tickets are available at the door.

Billy Boyd Performs At Charity Awards

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Lord of the Rings actor Billy Boyd appeared at a charity music awards ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland, during the weekend to raise money for Nordoff-Robbins.

The star performed with his band, Beecake, and accepted a People’s Choice Best Live Act award at the Tartan Clef Awards. Beecake also received the most votes from fans in an online poll organized by tourist organization Visit Scotland.

The event raised £100,000 (US$200,000) to help fund music therapy in Scotland.

“It’s my view that the Tartan Clefs will soon become as important to the UK music industry as the Brits or NME Awards,” said Nordoff-Robbins Scotland chairman Donald MacLeod. “The funds and recognition the event raises is invaluable and helps guarantee music therapy for all those who benefit from it.”

The other big winner on the night was Scottish singer Sharleen Spiteri, who won an Outstanding Contribution to Music Award. Spiteri – the lead singer for rock band Texas – recently performed for autistic children at a school in Scotland, and also took part in the Children in Need concert in London.

“Nordoff-Robbins does some wonderful things for people who have to contend with all manner of disabilities,” said Sandi Thom, who was a past winner at the Tartan Clefs.

Sharleen Spiteri Gigs With Autistic Children

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Scottish singer Sharleen Spiteri lent her support to Nordoff-Robbins last week when she visited a school that integrates children with autism into classes and provides music therapy as part of their lessons.

The 41-year-old lead singer of Texas played a few tunes for children at Hopefield Primary in Bonnyrigg, Scotland, to raise awareness of music therapy in schools.

“It was great to do a song with the kids playing along on their drums, shakers and bells,” Spiteri told the Sunday Mail in the UK. "It ended up being a lot easier than some big gigs I’ve done where thousands of fans clap along out of time. That’s an absolute nightmare. Playing to a bunch of kids who were totally into the music was both satisfying and very humbling. But that’s the power of music. I was a total stranger but music brought us together.

“It was interesting to discover how so much of the touchy-feely element of music – the vibrations of hitting a drum or holding an instrument against the skin – meant to the children. That’s what we do as musicians… we go on constantly about feel and rhythm. It was extraordinary to see it actually work for them and hear from their parents how much of a difference music makes to their lives.”

The singer also took part in the BBC Children in Need charity concert on Friday, November 14, which also featured the Sugababes, Boyzone, and many others.

Stars Become Brokers For BGC Charity Day

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:30:00 -0000

BGC will hold its 4th Annual Global Charity Day on Thursday 11th September.

Consistent with its theme, “Working Globally – Giving Locally”, BGC’s offices around the world will raise money for charity as they commemorate September 11 by reaching out to help others.

In New York, London, Paris, Sydney and Hong Kong, celebrities from the worlds of music, stage, screen and sport will join the company’s brokers to help raise money for a number of selected charities. All of BGC’s global revenues generated from the day’s trading will be donated to charity.

Events will take place around the globe, with celebrities becoming stock brokers for a day. In New York, stars such as Tony Sirico, Donald Trump, Steve Buscemi, Regis Philbin, Matthew Modine, Leighton Meester, and Scott Gomez will become traders on Wall Street, while in London, Prince Charles will join Kevin Spacey and Jerry Hall in the City to trade on the markets.

Charities that will benefit from this year’s Charity Day will include: Barnardo’s, Breast Cancer Care, Scope, the Jodie Kidd Foundation, the Prince’s Trust, Baby Buggy, the Rainbow Trust, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the Variety Club, the National Down Syndrome Society, the Valerie Fund, the Wounded Warrior Project, Nordoff-Robbins, and many more.

The annual Charity Day has raised over $15 million for charities around the world. For more information about this year’s events, visit the BGC website.

Bono's Fishy T-Shirt Benefits African Farmers

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:41:01 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Bono has designed a new T-shirt for charity, joining a host of other celebrities in an on-going and major charity campaign.

The 47-year-old singer from U2 is the 25th artist to design a shirt for Hard Rock Café’s Signature Series clothing line, an initiative started in 1990 as a way for musicians to raise money for charities of their choice. Sales from the shirts have raised over $6 million for a variety of causes.

Bono’s creation, available for $26 from the Hard Rock website, features his stylized drawing of a fish soaring past the moon, and is adorned with the words “Fish Can Fly”, as well as his signature. 15% of the proceeds will go to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Conservation Cotton initiative – a scheme designed to lift African farmers out of poverty by providing education on proper land management, organic cotton growing techniques, and wildlife conservation. The shirts will also support the trade for aid ethos of EDUN, the conscious consumerism fashion label founded by Bono and his wife in 2005, by being made from 100% African cotton and manufactured by African garment workers.

Other artists to have designed shirts for the initiative in the past include Green Day, who raised money for Amnesty International’s Campaign To Save Darfur, Shakira who chose to benefit Pies Descalzos, Ozzy Osbourne for the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program, Bruce Springsteen for World Hunger Year, Eric Clapton for the Crossroads Centre, Peter Gabriel for Witness, Sting and Elton John for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Michael Stipe for Artists for a New South Africa, Don Henley for the Walden Woods Project, John Mellencamp for the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Foundation, and Stevie Nicks for the Special Olympics. Carlos Santana and Aerosmith have also contributed designs. Many of these shirts are still available from the Hard Rock website.

Bono’s “Fish Can Fly” is more than just a phrase – it is a message that tomorrow can be better than today.

It's Never Too Crowded For Charity

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:35:18 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Half of the band is American, yet they originated in Australia, and the lead singer is a New Zealander. Veteran pop band Crowded House can truly be considered as one of the most international music groups ever to grace the airwaves. And even though they are currently halfway through a world tour to promote their latest album, they still find time to be part of a new collaborative CD to raise money for Oxfam.

“The Cake Sale” (CD /MP3) is a new record featuring a loose and expansive collective of musicians and writers, including Crowded House founding member Nick Seymore, who have combined to create a 9 song CD of previously unreleased recordings. Profits from the album, which also features Nina Persson from The Cardigans, Damien Rice, and Snow Patrol, will go to Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair campaign, as well as to their overseas program work. It was released in Britain in September, where it has already raised almost $300,000, and was made available in the US on October 16.

Crowded House formed in 1984, as a result of the demise of an earlier band called Split Enz. Ex-Enz singer/songwriter Neil Finn, and drummer Paul Hester, joined bass player Nick Seymore to form the new band, then travelled to Los Angeles. There they were signed to Capital Records. Over the next 12 years, the band released four albums, and garnered a loyal fan base with a strong repertoire of hits on both sides of the Atlantic, including “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, “Weather With You”, and “Four Seasons In One Day”.

In 1996, the band called it a day, and played a final Farewell To The World concert to 120,000 people in front of the Sydney Opera House. Proceeds from what many regard as one of the most emotional gigs ever all went to the Sydney Children’s Hospital.

The following years saw the members of the group pursue new musical directions. Finn released two solo albums, and also travelled to Africa with Oxfam, a trip that resulted in him becoming an Oxfam Ambassador. In 2005, he was part of Oxfam’s Big Noise program, an international petition of more than 10 million signatures which called on decision makers to change unfair global trade rules so that people in developing countries have the chance to work their way out of poverty. He has since been part of a number of concerts to raise money for Oxfam, and also took time time entice his fellow New Zealanders to be a part of Oxjam in October 2007.

“You can do something,” said 49 year old Finn. “You can use your voice and tell the world that we won’t stand for people living in poverty any more. It’s not just about charity, it’s about justice. So stand up. Get singing, get playing. Make as much noise as you can and support Oxjam.”

Finn, who was awarded an OBE in 1993 for services to New Zealand music, also supports other charities in his native country, often contributing to celebrity auctions. One of the most popular of these is the annual auction held for the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust, New Zealand’s only dedicated music therapy centre catering for special needs children. In 2005, the hand-written lyrics to his most popular songs raised $15,000 for the charity.

In February 2007, Neil Finn played a charity show for Scope, England’s largest organization for people living with cerebral palsy. The concert was held at Stowe School in Wales, and also featured Aussie rocker, Jimmy Barnes. The event was followed by a celebrity auction featuring items donated by Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Elton John, and Australian cricketer, Shane Warne.

2007 also saw the reforming of Crowded House as a band, with the release of their new album, “Time On Earth”. The album, dedicated to the memory of drummer Paul Hester, went straight to the top of the charts in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, and was in the top twenty in many parts of Europe. One of the first gigs the band played together to promote the album was Hyde Park Calling, a benefit concert festival held in London on June 23 and 24. Organized in conjunction with Hard Rock Cafe, it was the first concert in the second annual Ambassadors of Rock Tour, a global concert series featuring top artists and bands, benefitting charities worldwide. The London concert, which also featured Peter Gabriel, Chris Cornell, and Aerosmith, raised funds for the Nordoff-Robbins Foundation, a charitable organization that provides music therapy to autistic children, and Global Angels, a charity that acts as an umbrella fundraising mechanism for children’s projects throughout the world.

A few weeks later, Crowded House played at the Live Earth concert in Sydney, closing the show in memorable fashion, despite a power failure that meant most of their set was played in the dark.

“It feels right to us that the band should re-emerge at this time,” said Finn before the Live Earth concert. “We aim to make this show as vital and spirited as what has come before.”

More information about “The Cake Sale” album, which Hot Press describes as being “the album other charity records aspire to be”, can be found at www.thecakesale.com, and the official Crowded House website can be viewed at www.crowdedhouse.com.

KT Tunstall - Globally Cool

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:25:48 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

She is Scottish, she is a rock star, she has sold millions of albums all around the world, and yet she does not own a car or even a television. Her new recording studio has been built using 100% reclaimed wood, sheep’s wool insulation, and solar panels, and her house is the same. When it comes to being environmentally friendly, singer/songwriter KT Tunstall is almost as revolutionary as her music.

September saw the release of Tunstall’s third album, Drastic Fantastic, which quickly climbed to the top of the charts in many countries. It has already outsold her 2006 release, “Acoustic Extravaganza”, and is set to reach the lofty levels of 2005’s “Eye To The Telescope”.

But music is only one of Tunstall’s passions, the other being the state of the environment. When not performing or recording, Tunstall is usually found hard at work supporting ecological causes. In 2005, she planted 6000 trees in Scotland to offset the environmental cost of her first CD. And July 2007 saw her perform an extremely energetic set at the Live Earth concert held at Giant’s Stadium in New Jersey.

“I feel responsible because I am making money out of it,” said the 32 year old singer, whose hits include Suddenly I See and Black Horse And The Cherry Tree. “I use bio-diesel fuel on my buses and carbon-neutralize the audience’s journey to the gigs. With this next album, a portion of the money is going towards investing in renewable energy sources in developing countries.”

Tunstall has recently involved herself with Global Cool, a ten year campaign which plans to inspire one billion people to each reduce their personal CO2 emissions by one tonne. She joins a long list of celebrities involved with the initiative, including Stephen Fry, Josh Hartnett, Tony Blair, Prince Charles, Pink, the Kaiser Chiefs, Orlando Bloom, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

“Stop completely twatting your planet,” she said on the Global Cool website. “We haven’t got anywhere else to live.”

The start of September also saw Tunstall return to her roots when she went busking in Glasgow. But this time it was for charity, with a street side performance in front of the Buchanan Galleries shopping centre that raised $550 for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy.

“Music is a really special way of helping disabled children,” said Tunstall. “I have a deaf brother who loves playing drums because he can really feel it and gets a lot out of it. I had heard of Nordoff-Robbins and they asked if I would be interested in raising a little money for them when I was in town. It was so different to when I first busked. In between every single song, I felt like I had to say the money wasn’t for me.”

More information on KT Tunstall’s new album and ecological beliefs can be found at www.kttunstall.com, and to work out your own personal CO2 usage and what you can do to lower it, visit www.globalcool.org.

London and Austin host GuitarTown for charity

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 07:12:01 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Sir Paul McCartney is among a group of celebrities who have donated giant guitars to exhibitions in both America and England, to be auctioned off over the next few months.

The exhibitions are part of the Gibson GuitarTown Galas And Auctions being held in London and Austin, and feature both 10-foot-high and regular-sized guitars designed and signed by artists and musicians. The sculptures have been on show in the cities for 10 weeks, and will soon be removed in preparation for the auctions, which will benefit a variety of local charities.

“I just fancied playing a big guitar!” joked Sir Paul, who signed a sculpture designed by cartoonist Rosie Brooks entitled And The Crowd Goes Wild. “I think this one will hopefully catch the imagination of the public and whoever is going to buy it at the auction, and raise money for [”The Prince’s Trust":http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/116-princes-trust], the Teenage Cancer Trust, and Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy – which are all great charities."

GuitarTown London is an initiative of The Gibson Foundation, a division of Gibson Guitars that is dedicated to improving the quality of life through the support of arts, education, health and welfare, and environmental causes. It follows a similar event held in Nashville in 2005, which raised over $400,000 for local charities, and is coupled with an event currently being held in Austin, Texas. GuitarTown Austin features 65 giant sculptures and showcase guitars, which are currently on display in various locations around the city.

Celebrities such as Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, Jamie Foxx, Dennis Quaid, Lance Armstrong, and Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines have all contributed their signatures to the artworks, to be auctioned at a special event at the Austin Grand Atrium on October 17. Bidders will have the chance to attend the Gala evening or bid online, with all proceeds going to the Health Alliance For Austin Musicians, the Austin Museum For Art, American Youthworks, and the Austin Children’s Museum.

“This public arts project showcases the enormous talent of both Austin’s visual and musical artists in the community,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, CEO of Gibson Guitars. “I hope Austin GuitarTown strikes a chord in people’s souls.”

The London GuitarTown Gala and Auction will be held on November 8, in the Indigo Room at the O2 Dome, and the sculptures are currently on display at More London in South Bank. Other artists to have contributed to the 61 items include Rod Stewart, Katie Melua, Corinne Bailey Rae, KT Tunstall, the Kaiser Chiefs, Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, James Blunt, Cliff Richard, Mark Knopfler, and Roger Waters.

“It seems the electric guitar is here to stay,” said Brian May, guitarist for Queen, who has two works included in the auction. “Gibson GuitarTown London looks set to become a glorious testament to this fact, and will be raising money and awareness for three great charities. I’m proud to endorse its imminent success.”

More information on the exhibitions and auctions can be found at www.londonguitartown.com.

"Modfather" Paul Weller Launches Guitar Campaign

Sat, 25 Nov 2006 12:21:21 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Former Jam singer Paul Weller has launched a campaign to build giant guitars for charity.

The Gibson GuitarTown exhibition will build 30 guitar sculptures across London by next summer, ready for 12 weeks of display beginning on 1st June 2007. Each sculpture will be designed and endorsed by famous musicians, including Queen guitarist Brian May.

All 30 Gibson Les Paul guitars will later be auctioned off for The Prince’s Trust, Nordoff-Robbins and the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Speaking about the campaign, Weller said: “I am proud to be associated with the Gibson GuitarTown London campaign as it combines my passion and appreciation for the guitar, whilst raising money and awareness for three very worthy and deserving charities.”

[Update: the website for the campaign is www.londonguitartown.com]

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