Using music to make a difference

On 13 July 2013, 10 music students from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music at the University of Melbourne shared their love of music in a concert dedicated to supporting children and families in Uganda.

Brought together by their passion for music, this group gathered regularly for dinners, concerts and any celebration with music from early 2012. As time passed they were inspired to do something more meaningful with their talents.

Together, they organised a concert with two main goals: to share their classical music talents with the wider community and help children in need. With 10 musicians in the group, they had a strong concert program with a mix of piano, violin and flute. They also had the range of skills needed to organise the show, with some of the musicians taking on additional roles like venue organiser, finance and marketing.

All the planning, organising and promotion paid off. On the night, more than 300 people attended the concert and over $1,000 was collected for programs supporting war-affected children and communities in Uganda.

Rebekah was one of the organisers and the master of ceremonies on the night. When we asked her about the key to her success in this event she said: “The advice we would give other people who are considering undertaking such a large fundraising event is the importance of role arrangements for people who are involved. Assigning roles such as administration, marketing, finance, concert program, stage management and performance means everything gets done and it gets done well. Also, it is necessary to have a leader among those people who conducts the progress of organising the event.”

ChildFund would like to send a special thanks to all involved, including performers Soojin An, Mary Hyunju Chun, Lucy Mikyung Ha, Jane Jiwon Lee, Jisook Noh, Laverne Eungyul Oh, Angela Jieun Park, Dana Park and Lina Heeseung Park; master of ceremonies Rebekah Chaerin Kim; and volunteer organiser Yesool Song.