LMTA pays goodwill forward to the Holiday of Trees
In October Abendmusik, The Ross Media Arts Center, and The American Guild of Organists (AGO) Lincoln Chapter joined together in a special fundraiser for the Lincoln Music Teachers Association in support of their LMTA Music Outreach Program (LMTA-MOP). The 1925 silent film, The Phantom of the Opera, Starring Lon Chaney, accompanied live on the 6000-pipe Lied Organ by Tom Trenney, Abendmusik Artistic Director, was aired via Facebook Live and on the Abendmusik’s website. This event resulted in nearly $1500 of donations to the LMTA Music Outreach Program which provides lessons with an LMTA Teacher, instruments and free music books for up to 50 children of families who could not otherwise afford a musical education. The Phantom of the Opera can still be viewed and donations made to LMTA-MOP a www.Abendmusik.org.
In December LMTA is “paying it forward” during the 48th Annual Holiday of Trees sponsored by The Heritage League of Lincoln. LMTA students provided music videos with the intention of helping raise funds for Community Crops, this year’s recipient of fundraising proceeds.
Sean Lebita’s improvisation of Joy to the World is featured on the background track for The Heritage League’s tree video on their website www.TheHeritageLeagueofLincoln.com. Sean is a LMTA Student Member/Teacher attending the University of Nebraska. He is a private piano student of Dr. Paul Barnes, UNL Music Professor. See Facebook pages The Heritage League, Lincoln Music Teachers Association, and Music Outreach Program - LMTA to view videos of other students who submitted videos in support of the Holiday of Trees to benefit Community Crops.
Because of Covid guidelines, The Heritage League, a service organization affiliated with the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, moved their Holiday of Trees online at www.TheHeritageLeagueofLincoln.org where beautiful trees sponsored by a variety of organizations are featured in a video. Also on the website is a video about Community Crops which encourages a broad range of Lincoln’s population, especially low income and immigrant families, to grow their own food. Since LMTA teachers and students have helped provide background music for the Holiday of Trees event for several years, they decided to follow suit this year by sponsoring an ePerformance contest for students who vied to have their music videos used as the background track for the tree video on the Heritage League’s website and/or featured on The Heritage League Facebook page.
For those looking for a good cause for year-end giving, donations to Community Crops can be made at www.TheHeritageLeagueofLincoln.org, or mailed directly to 3901 South 27th Street #3, Lincoln, NE 68502. Donations to the LMTA Music Outreach Program can be made at www.LMTA.info, and click on Music Outreach Program, or email MOP@LMTA.info. A student nomination form can also be downloaded from that page.