RE: [Harp-L] Gary Allegretto & Harmonikids - Katrina Children's Benefit

["steve" <mudharp@xxxxxxxxxx>]

 About Gary and his great interaction with the kids, I first read about Gary in Blues Revue a few months ago and had the pleasure to hang out with him a while at Jon Gindick's Jam Camp in Del Mar, CA.    He has a very  gentle and mellow demeanor and you can see why the kids relate to him.  It's his gift.   We've all seen the news with the devastation of the landscape and the hopeless faces of despair from the tsunami hit coast to the hurricanes in the Gulf Coast.  I looked at Gary's photo album of the tsunami children that have, in most cases, lost their brothers or sisters, aunts, uncles, parents and have no place to call home and it makes your heart drop to your shoes.   Then you see the picutes of Gary teaching the children how to play harp and you see the smiles on their faces, smiles of hope and a rare time where the kids look happy after such utter devastation.   Defenseless young children need love, guidance and protection from all of us and The HarmoniKids project is 
a wonderful thing to support.    There's countless thousands of children that we can help Gary reach with his HarmoniKids project. Do what your heart leads. Keep on Harpin'   --- On Sun 11/20, BassHarp < bassharp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > wrote:From: BassHarp [mailto: bassharp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx: Sun, 20 Nov 2005 10:07:30 -0500Subject: [Harp-L] Gary Allegretto & Harmonikids - Katrina Children's BenefitGary Allegretto, a former Los Angeles firefighter, has long been a champion to the children, especially thosein need.Harmonikids Press Release -Harmonikids to Provide Music Therapy to Children Evacuated from New Orleans in Katrina AftermathNovember 15, 2005 Los Angeles, CA - On December 10 and 11 musician Gary Allegretto will be providingmusic therapy to hundreds of children of families evacuated from the disaster areas of Hurricane Katrina.The unique sessions will take place at Renaissance Village, the largest of the group-style trailer villagescreated for 
evacuees by FEMA in Baker, Louisiana. Allegretto, an award winning and internationallyacclaimed Blues harmonica player, will begin the sessions by first entertaining the children with acaptivating and fun performance. New harmonicas will then be distributed and the children will learn toplay positive and uplifting songs, including the Louisiana State Song, "You Are My Sunshine".Allegretto is the founding director of Harmonikids, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides thetherapeutic and healing power of music to special-needs children worldwide. In unique and entertainingprograms, Harmonikids gives children new harmonicas and teaches them to play simple songs through funand gentle instruction. Through the portable and child-friendly harmonica, kids are given the lasting gift ofmusic, which provides self-confidence, achievement, creativity, and self-expression. For over 10 yearsHarmonikids has reached out to children with incredible physical and emotional challenges 
from conditionsincluding but not limited to post traumatic stress, cerebral palsy, and terminal cancer. Harmonikids regularlyvisits facilities ranging from children?s hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses, burn recovery centers, andorphanages. Earlier this year, Allegretto took 1000 harmonicas to the refugee camps and orphanages ofNorth Sumatra where he effectively raised the spirits of children severely traumatized by the Tsunami.In Allegretto?s words, ?Children respond immediately and joyously to the gift of creating music on aharmonica. Beyond the therapeutic stress relieving benefits, I have seen music replenish self-esteem,confidence, hope and joy into children?s lives. I look forward to this unique opportunity to assist thesechildren who have had to endure so much through this terrible disaster.?Website: http://www.harmonikids.com-- BassHarpPO Box 5061Hudson, FL 34674-5061http://www.bassharp.com/bh_itin.htm_______________________________________________Harp-L is sponsored 
by SPAH, http://www.spah.orgHarp-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l

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