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A homegrown rendition of the popular tune, "Hey Ya" by OutKast will be just one of the performances by students from Elmsford’s Lagond Music School this weekend, said Executive Director Rosanne Lana.
Musicians of all ages will also put their own spin on the classic Bill Withers track, “Use Me,” Friday night as part of the non-profit organization’s four hour online fundraiser for scholarships, The Lagond-A-Thon.
“We thought, ‘what should we do to raise awareness to our school?’ We’re not gala people, we perform,” she said.
The concert, held in the music school’s new performance space, The Haven, will be seen and heard all over the world as an Internet-streamed webcast. Lana said she has been told people may even be tuning in from countries as far as Argentina and Taiwan.
“I think we’ll have a strong viewing and we hope to make it better and better each year,” added the organization's co-founder.
The Lagond Music School opened 10 years ago in the attic of Lana and her husband, Charlie Lagond. Back then, they had only 30 to 40 students. Now, its 4,000 square-foot location in Elmsford plays host to roughly 150 students learning to play jazz, pop, Latin and funk music. Plus, the school now offers private lessons, songwriting workshops and theory.
“We felt there was a void in teaching music with a contemporary flair,” Lana said. “It was only traditional music that was presented to students.”
The goal Lana and Lagond, who is trained to play mostly woodwind instruments, have is for the curriculum at Lagond Music School to be driven to create motivated musicians.
“It’s not about skill-level. If you’re passionate, you have to want to go home and practice,” she said. “Our goal is to enable children to reach their goals.”
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