Holiday concert raising money for unhoused youth in western Colorado
by
Matt Thornton
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Dr. Graham Anduri rehearses for the "I'll be home for Christmas" concert in Grand Junction. The concert will benefit "The House," an organization that supports unsheltered teens in western Colorado.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Drs. Graham and Stefanie Anduri will be home for Christmas.
The duo will be performing in their appropriately named Christmas concert and fundraiser, “I’ll be home for Christmas” ahead of the holiday, and the proceeds are going to a good cause: The concert will raise money for Karis, Inc., parent company of “The House,” an organization that supports unsheltered teens in western Colorado.
“When we sing together, we build harmony, we build connections with people,” said Dr. Stefanie Anduri of Sing For Your Lives. “That’s what the world needs more than anything right now.”
Stefanie and Graham both used to teach voice at Colorado Mesa University. They have returned to rehearse their own voices in hopes of reaching their fundraising goal of $5,000.
Colorado Voices
Singing Christmas carols to support unsheltered youth.
Working with Karis Inc. in past events, the two of them knew they had a friendly outlet for helping others. In the spirit of giving, the two recommend a donation of $20, however, the event is free for the public to come and enjoy the festive sounds of Christmas carols.
“To, me, the idea of the Christmas spirit is giving back, it’s giving back to people, it’s giving back to the community,” Graham said. “It’s remembering that shared humanity piece and then empathizing with your neighbor. Empathizing with the struggles that they may be going through, or empathizing with the joys that they’re experiencing and sharing in that joy, and then spreading that joy to as many people as you can.”
Dr. Adam Kluck on the piano.
Through Sing For Your Lives, the two vocalists aim to share the power of music through transformative singing, a holistic vocal technique that promotes personal healing and growth through the focus of outward projection. Since leaving the university and going on to help start multiple organizations such as Art Song Colorado, the two have been able to continue teaching others about the profound effects of expressing one’s voice.
“To me, my purpose in life is to help make the world a better place,” Graham explained. “The gifts I've been given through music and through singing are some extremely powerful gifts to accomplish that task.”
It is with their knowledge and powerful voices that they hope to give back to their community and reach their fundraising goal. You can RSVP for the event here. The concert will be performed by Stefanie as soprano, Graham as baritone, Dr. Adam Kluck on the piano, Javier de los Santos on the guitar and Jun Watabe on the clarinet.
“I hope that the concert inspires a sense of compassion and community and love within our society here in Grand Junction,” Stefanie said. “I hope that people feel inspired to give what they have for the people who need help, and I hope it reminds them of the community that we have here and the ability that we have here to grow into that community.”
Matt Thornton is a multimedia journalist at Rocky Mountain PBS. He is based in Grand Junction. You can contact him at matthewthornton@rmpbs.org.
