It all started with a conversation about candy.

I ran into an old client of mine Dana Alexander in front of Zone Music in Cotati. We hadn’t seen each other in a long while so we stood in the parking lot and chatted. That’s how I found out about the candy.

Dana told me that her advanced Chamber Singer group at the high school had been invited to compete in a national choral competition in New York City. But they weren’t sure it they were going to go because they would need to raise over $20,000 to fund the 4 day trip. "And now that we’re no longer allowed to sell candy as a fund raiser, I’m not sure how we’re going to raise that much," Dana said.

What? Why can’t you sell candy?" I asked her, remembering my own high school choral experience of selling big chocolate bars in order to raise money for uniforms and such.

"Because of the new nutrition laws in the schools. Kids are no
longer allowed to sell candy," answered Dana before letting out a big
sigh. I was stunned, and a little angry. I mean, how many car washes
and singing telegrams can you expect kids to do when they could easily
and almost effortlessly sell candy to almost anyone?

I walked away from the conversation feeling badly for Dana and the
steep fund raising mountain before her. As I drove home, I thought, "Ya
know, Nancy, you’ve been saying you want to get involved in supporting
kids who want to pursue music. Maybe this is your first step. Maybe you
could do something to help." Then I forgot about it.

Until I saw Dana again at one of my gigs at Upper Fourth. During a
break I went up to her and her sweet husband Chris, who is a fine
pianist and big music lover, and told Dana that I’d  been thinking
about her huge fund raising nightmare and that I’d like to help. I
thought she’d ask me to write a few letters and ask for donations or
something. But she immediately yelped out, "How about a benefit
concert?"

Now, my mind will pounce on any suggestion or idea that remotely
resembles the phrase, "Let’s put on a show!" Dana’s suggestion had me
off and running with ideas and possibilities. But since I was
performing that night, we agreed to meet later and talk about it.

At a little patisserie in Santa Rosa, Dana and I sat down one
afternoon and we made plans for what would be one of the most deeply
satisfying, suspenseful, extraordinary musical events I’ve ever
experienced much less created:  "Going For The Gold in New York City" —
a jazz-centric musical extravaganza to benefit the Montgomery High
School Chamber Singers so they can compete in New York City.

The story continues… tomorrow.