Forty Years! It's hard to believe that four decades have gone by since our founder, the late Mimi Fariña,  gathered a few musician friends to play for some isolated neighbors and Bread & Roses was born. We have a lot to celebrate at our upcoming benefit on March 1 at the Marin Center with Bobby McFerrin. His joy of improvisational singing will be an affirmation for hope, healing and joy through live music for those who need it most in the years to come. We continue our goal of six hundred annual programs with the help of a dedicated cadre of volunteers including many up and coming performers.  As Shakespeare said, "If music be the food of love, play on..."
40th Anniversary Benefit To Sustain Bread & Roses into the Future!

Bread & Roses 40th Anniversary Benefit Celebration & Concert will be held on Saturday March 1 at the Marin Center Exhibit Hall and intimate Showcase Theatre in San Rafael at 5:30 pm.  This annual fundraising event, an important part of sustaining our program into the future, will feature a once-in-a-lifetime concert with "Explorer of the Musical Universe" Bobby McFerrin backed by members of The Yellowjackets and the imaginative a cappella ensemble SoVoSó.  

The fundraiser will include a gourmet dinner and an exciting live auction to celebrate over 15,000 live performances and a quarter million spirits lifted since 1974.  Tickets are $200-$400. We are almost sold out so get your tickets now for this very special celebration by clicking on this link or calling 415-945-7120 to reserve your seats. Click here for more information on our benefit event and 40th anniversary! 
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As a friend of Bread & Roses, Berkeley Repertory Theatre is offering 20-50% off their current play "The House That Will Not Stand", written by Marcus Gardley, a period piece that takes place in 1836 New Orleans that unearths the relationships of black Creole women.  Just use the promo code "ROSES" and click here!
Bobby McFerrin's Joyous Improvisational Singing
To Highlight Anniversary Show!
"I think we listen to music because we want to  be changed. Music is not solely for our entertainment. Music has such tremendous power to bring joy. To me, that's our job as artists. Not happiness, not a groove, whatever. You must bring joy. I think that's the assignment. I have no doubt about it."
- Bobby McFerrin

Bread & Roses is honored to present Bobby McFerrin as our headliner at our 40th Anniversary Benefit concert on March 1. His understanding of music's power is in perfect alignment with our mission of bringing hope, healing and joy to those who need music most.

As a solo artist, Bobby developed Circlesongs, an innovative improvisational choral singing experience that he refined through the years with his vocal ensemble Voicestra. As he toured all over the world, he found that group singing not only made beautiful music but cultivated a deep sense of community and joy. Click here to read our blog post on Bobby and our 40th Event!

 

New Performers Move Bread & Roses Forward
Through Forty Years of Shows

How do we keep it real, fresh and upbeat? Through the generosity of a new wave of emerging artists who are joining the hundreds of volunteers who are the backbone of our program and who have been a huge boost for our youth audiences in particular.

 

Performers like Sofi Rox, an open- hearted singer-songwriter who brings joy across the board to children in low-income preschools and seniors in convalescent facilities through her charming original songs about nature and her sweet ukulele playing. 

 

Or Salvador Santana, with keyboard in hand, who shares his journey as a professional musician and whose original songs inspire troubled teens "to navigate the infinite options of music" giving them hope and the chance to imagine a brighter future for themselves.

 

 

Click here to read more about our performers for Bread & Roses. 

Farewell to Long-Time Performers
John Chase Lewis and Phyllis Marcus

We are continually reminded of all the performers who have done shows for Bread & Roses through the decades, especially those who are no longer with us, like piano and bass player the late John Chase Lewis who did hundreds of Bread & Roses shows for seniors and cheerfully accompanied many different vocalists through the years. John loved the joy of collaboration with other artists as well and played with many musicians for Bread & Roses including vocalists Joan Getz, Daria and Kat Fitzgerald, violinist Yehudit, jazz pianist Si Perkoff and the late Dr. Bill Pemberton and James Jenkins.   

And Phyllis Marcus, also known as Flame Folly, a twenty-year volunteer performer for Bread & Roses during the 80's and 90's who died last year.

 

Click here to read more about John Chase Lewis and Phyllis Marcus 

 

Bread & Roses Performers Help With Upcoming Special Events

Noah Griffin and Phillip Percy Williams have both stepped up to do special Black History Month events for Bread & Roses in February. Noah shared part of a Martin Luther King tribute he recently performed with the Marin Symphony at the Orin Allen Boys Ranch in Byron, CA (pictured: Noah Griffin, left and Orin Allen, right.) Phillip will perform songs of Nat King Cole with Si Perkoff at The Tamalpais in Greenbrae.  

Check our blog in early March for an update about these and other programs.

 

Cassandra Flipper to Help Enlighten Young Women in March
Our Executive Director Cassandra Flipper will participate in a gathering of young women (6th through 12th grade) who are exploring their futures and want to spend time with women who have successfully developed their own careers. The program is sponsored by Performing Stars of Marin in honor of Women's History Month in March.
Bread & Roses | 415-945-7120 | info@breadandroses.org | http://www.breadandroses.org
233 Tamalpais Drive, Ste 100
Corte Madera, CA 94925

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 Newsletter Writer: Marian Hubler
Graphic Designer: Lauren Arrow