The North End Music & Performing Arts Center (NEMPAC) and the community celebrated their commitment to music together on Saturday, April 10th, 2021, at their 7th annual Perform-a-thon with four and a half hours of back-to-back music performances to benefit their Youth Music Scholarships Fund.
This event was possible thanks to 85 NEMPAC students and faculty who performed, and to their families, friends, local businesses, and sponsors who came together to support quality and accessible music education for all.
A total of $18,040 was raised for the NEMPAC Scholarship Fund, supported by 273 performer pledges, dozens of raffle items donated by local businesses, and our event sponsors, the Charlestown Mothers Association (CMA) and the North End Athletic Association (NEAA). 85 students and faculty passionately showcased their talent through live and pre-recorded clips of music that ranged from classical, to rock, to musical theatre, and folk music, all collecting pledges with one single purpose: to support and further NEMPAC’s cause!
“ A special congratulations to our top pledge raisers this year! These students worked so hard to collect the most pledges for their performances – first place was Jax Raukohl, second place was Harper Racine of Charlestown, and third place was a tie with Madelyn & Jacob Litofsky of Charlestown!†– Allie Meek-Carufel, NEMPAC Educational Director
Spotlights included performances featuring students from the NEMPAC ensemble programs such as the Eliot Music Ensemble, Music Theatre Troupe, Music Theatre Intermediate Class, and Young Dancers Class. The event also included interactive dance and theatre game fun with two favorite NEMPAC faculty members, Amanda Teneriello Yazinka and Sarah Rogers. The full program can be seen here.
“At NEMPAC, we aim to increase our scholarship award allocation each year to meet the growing demand for need-based support. Thanks to our talented students and faculty, this is possible! We are grateful for their participation in the #PledgeMe campaign and Performathon event – and also thank our sponsors, the local businesses who donated, and neighbors who support our raffle!†Sherri Snow, Executive Director.
Special to this year’s performathon was the start of NEMPAC Milestone awards for students and faculty. The following students and faculty received awards: Cameron Esposito, Annabella Sandy-Roche, Anna Magno, Dinero Jelley, Melinda Sandy-Roche, Xiaolan Ruan*, Dan Raney*, and Jaime Castellanos* (*denotes faculty). Awards included Youngest Performer, Oldest Performer, and Student(s) that have been taking lessons with NEMPAC the longest.
The NEMPAC 2021 Virtual Perform-a-thon was generously supported by Bronze Level Sponsors North End Athletic Association (NEAA) and Charlestown Mothers Association (CMA). Thanks to the generosity of all the donors who pledged students; and thanks especially to the local businesses who contributed to our raffle prizes! Those businesses are listed here.
For more information about NEMPAC and the NEMPAC Scholarship Fund, please visit www.nempacboston.org
In the last fiscal year 2019-20, NEMPAC awarded $19,061 in total scholarships, with $8,316 awarded from the Geraldine Marshall Scholarship Fund. The fund provides need-based scholarship support giving children or teens equitable opportunities to participate in high-quality after-school or extended music and performing arts programs. Students receiving scholarships use support to take private or group music lessons, enroll in after-school dance, theatre, music classes, or experience week-long intensive summer music workshops. The fund aims to spark a creative, artistic interest in students who may not otherwise have the opportunity. Scholarship applications are accepted several times throughout the year and are available in English, Mandarin, and Spanish. The demand for financial support to participate in NEMPAC educational programs has never been greater, as families continue to face unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19 and as NEMPAC’s partnerships with Boston Public Schools expand.
North End Music & Performing Arts Center (NEMPAC) is a 501(c)(3) community music school and performing arts center empowering greater-Boston artists of all ages and abilities. Fueled by the belief that the arts are an expression of our shared humanity, NEMPAC enriches the North End, Charlestown, and surrounding Boston neighborhoods with affordable, high-quality performances and programming.
In 2001, five North End mothers launched NEMPAC out of their homes to give their daughters and sons the opportunity to pursue private piano instruction. By listening to, empathizing with, and meeting a community need for youth instrument lessons, the nonprofit’s female founders banded together to make music an approachable art form for the children of Little Italy.
Fast forward nearly two decades later, and NEMPAC continues to flourish at the intersection of arts education and professional performance. NEMPAC’s community music school nurtures the next generation of artists through in-house education courses, private and group music instruction, as well as on-site arts programming in area schools.
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