Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
February 8, 2007 issue
Hunger and Health Coalition Calls for Submissions for Holiday Music CD
Now here’s a cool idea—compiling the hard work and beautiful sounds of local choirs, bands and solo performers on a Christmas CD to benefit the Hunger Coalition.
The Hunger and Health Coalition has announced plans to produce a holiday CD to be sold during the 2007 holiday season to benefit the coalition. The CD will feature Christmas and holiday favorites performed by local musicians and choral groups.
“We hope to have a wide variety of music on the CD,” said Todd Wright, director of jazz studies at Appalachian State University and one of the project’s organizers. “Between church and gospel choirs, jazz and bluegrass groups, and mountain music performers and ensembles, we feel we can produce a good mix of songs to reflect the diverse music of the High Country.”
The mission of The Hunger and Health Coalition is to relieve poverty and hunger in a compassionate manner for families and individuals who are experiencing immediate, but temporary economic hardship and food shortages. Executive Director Compton Fortuna feels a holiday CD is a natural fit for the coalition during the season of giving.
“There are so many people in Ashe, Watauga and Avery counties that do not know where their next meal is coming from,” says Fortuna, “and we see and interact with these people every day and don’t even know it.”
The organizers plan to solicit retailers and restaurants to display and sell the CDs beginning in the October leaf season. Co-organizer Crae Morton noted that interested individuals and groups can make non-musical contributions as well.
“We are working to keep production costs at a minimum,” says Morton. “Any donations to the project in excess of those costs will go directly to the coalition itself.”
Groups interested in performing should send a tape or CD to the Holiday CD Project, c/o The Hunger and Health Coalition, 141 Health Center Drive, Boone, NC 28607. An open-air tape recording will suffice for submission. Because interested groups will likely exceed available space on the CD, a committee will review submissions and decide on the final lineup. Selected performers will make a professional quality recording for the CD at the recording studios at the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State in May and June.
You can mail tax-deductible donations to this project or to the coalition to the above address. For more information about the Hunger Coalition, click to www.hungercoalition.com or call Compton Fortuna at 828-262-1628.