Beppe Gambetta concert will benefit music and arts programs
Beppe Gambetta
Templeton school district and Matt’s Music host first fundraiser for district
Beppe Gambetta, an acoustic guitar flatpicker and singer from Genova, will be in concert on Sunday, Feb. 8 at 4 p.m. to benefit Templeton Unified School District’s music and arts programs at the Templeton Performing Arts Center, 1200 S. Main St. in Templeton. Templeton High sophomore Joseph Seyedan, a classical guitarist, will open the concert.
The fundraiser is being put on by the school district in association with Matt’s Music, Stage & School. Tickets are available at Matt’s Music, 211 S. Main St. for $20 each. All proceeds from the concert will go directly to music and arts programs for Templeton.
Matt’s Music owner Matt Franscioni said that he’s wanted to put on series of concerts but for one reason or another it didn’t work out. That is, however, until Catherine Kingsbury joined Templeton High School as the drama teach and manages the Templeton Performing Arts Center. Franscioni said that it’s all come together quickly. He’s working on nailing down musicians and dates for the coming months, with the details for the March concert to be released next week.
The most important thing Franscioni stressed is that minus the artists’ fees, every penny raised from the concerts will go directly to the teachers. The funds will go into a separate bank account and when a teacher of music or the arts has a need, he or she will send a request and be issued a check as soon as that day.
“One of the problems teachers have is not getting the money sooner than later,” Franscioni said.
Not only will Templeton music and arts teachers benefit from the concert, but Franscioni will also mentor the students in every step needed to put on a concert from promotions to set up.
“The students will learn how to run the concert and how to put them together,” Franscioni said.
Franscioni said the goal is to have 10 to 12 concerts a year, one about every month. He anticipates that the concert series could raise $75,000 from the concerts alone. To keep the money raised going into the schools, Franscioni has been seeking sponsors to pay the artist’s fee. While he wants to ensure that the artists are paid fairly, he does ask for a reduction in the fee since the concerts raise money for music and the arts in the school, benefitting students in kindergarten through high school.
Seating for the concert is general and the doors will open at 3:30 p.m. Refreshments will be available for an additional charge.
