Locket2you

Pianists at Portland State University have started the first Portland State Piano Club in the school’s history, and are kicking off their first year with a gala CD release concert, called “Keys to the City.” The concert will take place Dec. 17, 2009, 7:00 p.m., at Sherm...an Clay/Moe’s Pianos (131 NW 13th Ave., Portland, OR 97209). The CD features solo performances by piano majors and recent piano alumni from Portland State University. The concert will have live performances by these students and will be a benefit for My Voice Music and Portland Police Bureau Sunshine Division. The CD is a limited run and will be made available at the concert as a free gift to the public. A raffle and dessert reception will follow the concert. Admission will be a suggested donation of $10 to My Voice Music at the door. Every pound of non-perishable food, gently-used clothing and blankets, and every $1 donated to the Sunshine Division can be exchanged for a raffle ticket for prizes provided by local sponsors, such as Cupcake Jones, Mama Mia Trattoria, Mother’s Bistro, Trade Up Music, and Portland’s beloved live classical music haven Rimsky-Korsakoffee House, among many others. A host of local music teachers have also donated free lessons as raffle prizes, for instruments ranging from the piano to the ukulele. The Portland State Piano Club is a new student-run organization at PSU dedicated to enriching their community through music while broadening their own experiences as musicians. The club’s membership includes mostly piano majors at Portland State University, but also composers and supporters of piano music. This year, they have decided not only put together a CD and concert, but to partner with local non-profits so that their music can be a gathering point to celebrate the value of music education in the lives of youth and society at large and to serve their community by giving aid and exposure to worthy causes. Portland State Piano Club is on social networking sites Facebook, Twitter (@psupianoclub), and http://myspace.com/portlandstatepianoclub. The Portland Police Bureau Sunshine Division is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that relies entirely on donations to fund the collection and distribution of food and clothes to families in dire need—some 750 tons a year, in fact. Through their front doors they serve 5,000 households a year with “shopping” experiences in Threadz, their clothing store, as well as with food (including nonperishable, frozen, fresh produce, and dairy products). They also make bulk donations of food to some 40 other food-relief agencies in five counties, thus extending their humanitarian influence beyond those they directly serve. The Sunshine Division has been in operation since the early 1920’s and continues to offer emergency food relief as a result of generous donations of food, cash and services from local businesses and the general public. The Sunshine Division’s website is http://www.sunshinedivision.org. My Voice Music (myvoicemusic.org) is a local non-profit organization that teaches valuable life skills to marginalized youth through music. Many of these youth have been in the foster care system most of their lives, and have changed homes and families more times than they have birthdays. Some are victims of violence and abuse. Oftentimes their mentors at MVM are the only stable adult figures they have. At My Voice Music, they are given the opportunity and the tools to channel their energy in a constructive and creative way, engage in teamwork, and gain confidence by learning to play an instrument, sing, record, and eventually become mentors themselves. My Voice Music is online at http://www.myvoicemusic.org.

Ten Northwest gifts that won’t break the bank.

Ten Northwest gifts that won’t break the bank.

Online store for custom lockets.

Online store for custom lockets.

Friday night we were joined in studio by Scott McCarty and the entire Locket2You team. While we chatted with Scott on the couch Miranda and MeaganKate kept everything in check from the sidelines.

Online store for custom lockets.

Locket: 1.25″ brasshung from an antiqued brass chain with three little Czech glass beads. Or for a more modern look choose the 18″ steel cable without beads.