The St. Joseph Music Foundation hosts ‘Future Impact’ benefit concert Saturday
Standing On Nines
Nobody can say that blind people haven’t given something to music. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have heard of all those old blues musicians like Blind Lemon Jefferson, let alone Ray Charles or Stevie Wonder.
But this Saturday, the St. Joseph Music Foundation is going to use music to give back to the blind as they host “Future Impact,” a free concert to benefit the National Federation of the Blind St. Joseph Chapter from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 5 at Civic Center Park.
The local music foundation began organizing the event in December 2007. The National Federation of the Blind came to them to ask them to put on the concert.
Putting on benefits is nothing new for SJMF, which put on Ward-Stock to benefit a fellow musician. But this one would be the foundation’s first venture into staging a larger event.
“It takes a lot of planning,” says Michael Fuson, vice president and treasurer of the SJMF. “This is our first big one that we’ve done with the city involved, so we’re just learning...”
The “Future Impact” event will feature performances by local and regional bands, including Pocket Aces, Fillmore Opry, Sugardaddy, Smilin’ Jack, Blackout and Standing on Nines, with an additional performance by the Mic-O-Say Dancers. The east side of Civic Center Park will have a children’s game area and pony rides while the western area of the park will have a beer garden. Hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza and soda also will be served, and a percentage of the vendors’ profits will go both the National Federation of the Blind and SJMF.
Jill DuBarr, a member of SJMF’s projects committee, says what money they make will go to a program called “Musical Minds,” a musical outreach project for young community kids.
“We’re just trying to reach out to the youth and really get them involved,” she says.
Fuson hopes that “Future Impact” will have just that on the community and the National Federation of the Blind.
“I feel like we’re helping them generate some money,” Fuson says. “It feels real good. It feels good to give something to them.”
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