This summer, two students from the Blair Academy for Music at Vanderbilt, Priscilla Park and Tyler Schwartz, turned music into meaningful action through a benefit concert supporting the global nonprofit charity: water. Held at the Steinway Piano Gallery in Nashville, the student-led event raised more than $3,000 to help bring clean, safe drinking water to communities in need.
Park, a senior and a Myra Jackson Blair (MJB) Scholarship student, and Schwartz, now an eighth grader and fellow Jr. MJB Scholar, spearheaded every element of the event, from coordinating performers to securing ten local business sponsors, who provided giveaways, reception food, and other event support.
“The idea for the event came from Tyler’s family friends, who made us aware of the organization,” said Park. “But it was only after visiting the lab in Franklin, where we experienced the reality of humanity’s search for water and the work of charity: water, that we were truly inspired to organize a fundraiser.”
Since charity: water was founded in 2006, the organization has been chasing one ambitious goal: ending the global water crisis by bringing clean and safe water to every person on the planet. Private donors cover all operational costs so that 100% of every public donation can fund clean water.
The fundraiser concert featured performances by seven MJB students from the Blair Academy: Alby Gaby, Ryan Gardocki, Stella Graham, Sharvil Kolhatkar, Priscilla Park, Abigail Rexer, and Tyler Schwartz. Taylor Van Ryckeghem, who is a former MJB Scholarship student and current piano faculty member at the Blair School, also served as the special guest accompanist.
“The Blair Academy is fortunate to have financial scholarships to invest in bright and talented young musicians,” said Jama Reagan, area chair of academy piano. “The MJB Scholarship Program is a unique and thriving environment within the Academy through which students who represent the highest level of proficiency in their specific instrument are provided an opportunity to take lessons and classes that are geared towards a serious musical curriculum for those who may or may not end up pursuing a music degree at university. Priscilla and Tyler’s efforts to organize a benefit concert for such a worthy charity is a tangible and meaningful way for them and for their peers to give back to the world and to humanity in response to The Academy’s investment in each of them.”
The Steinway Piano Gallery generously sponsored the event by donating performance space and pianos. Their partnership, along with contributions from a wide range of local businesses and support from fellow Blair faculty and peers, helped amplify the impact of the students’ efforts.
“We were fortunate to have the support of so many friends and teachers, including Professors Jama Reagan and Heather Conner, the Steinway Piano Gallery, and our fellow MJB students,” Park said. “Even though we had limited planning time, we were able to bring everything together for a truly special night. As MJBs, this experience has inspired us to give back even more, and we’re already thinking about organizing future fundraisers and charity concerts.”
Through vision, organization, and a shared commitment to service, these young musicians transformed their passion into purpose, making music not only for the stage, but for the greater good.