Brothers To Raise Funds For SWAN
When three musical brothers are assigned a summer project, it is only natural that they would decide to hold a concert. In the case of Noah, Lucas, and Marcus Unruh, who live in the Conestoga Valley School District, that concert will benefit SWAN (Scaling Walls A Note at a Time), which offers free music lessons to School District of Lancaster (SDoL) students affected by parental incarceration.
The Unruh brothers will display their musical talents with a little help from their mother, Anu, and younger sister, Liesl, when they hold a fundraiser for SWAN to "give music" and "empower dreams," according to the event flyer, at Gospel of Grace Community church, 45 N. Kinzer Road, Kinzers, at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 11. A mix of music, including gospel tunes, will be played on a variety of instruments. Admission will be charged, and a meal, including a sub sandwich from Pasquale's, chips, and a beverage, will be offered for a nominal cost. Those wishing to attend are asked to contact Noah at noah.unruh@gmail.com or Lucas at lucas.unruh@gmail.com by Friday, Aug. 5, for reservations.
Noah, age 13, will play the saxophone and piano in the concert. "There's a piece called 'Irish Wedding,' and it's the longest piece I have ever played, and I will be playing that," said Noah.
Lucas, who is 12, plays the piano, violin, ukulele, and guitar. He will play a hymn, and he will play the guitar to accompany Anu, Marcus, and Liesl when they sing "Do-Re-Mi" from "The Sound of Music."
Marcus, age 8, is a pianist. He reported that his favorite song to play is the "William Tell Overture."
Lucas explained that when the family discussed the idea of holding a concert to raise funds for SWAN, he responded, "Why not? It sounds like fun."
The fundraiser grew out of Anu's interest in keeping her sons learning and productive during the months when there is no school. "My mom came up with the idea of doing a project each summer," explained Noah, who added that he and his brothers interviewed Diana Vuolo, founder/executive director of SWAN in preparation for the project. "Before (undertaking this project), we knew (SWAN) helped traumatized kids in Lancaster County by teaching them music," said Noah. "We learned that their parents might be in prison," he added, noting that Vuolo - the brothers call her "Miss Diana" - shared situations that helped them better understand the mission of SWAN.
SWAN offers one-hour after-school music programs for students ages 6 to 18. Both group and private lessons are now held in 13 SDoL schools. SWAN also has a summer camp, which gives children 120 hours of instruction. Currently, SWAN receives referrals of students whose parents have a history of incarceration from intervention specialists and family counselors who work for the district. Readers who would like to know more about SWAN may visit https://swan4kids.org.
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