This Old Ghost Benefit Concert at Birdsall House

In true holiday spirit, members of wanted to use their talent to do something nice for their community this holiday season. During a conversation about how funding for arts and music is often cut at public schools TOG realized a way to help mediate the impact those funding cuts have on school music programs. 

 “We had the idea of playing a benefit show with the proceeds going to music department to pay for instruments, equipment or whatever else they needed,” TOG drummer Robert Pizzolato said.

So the group organized a show at the with the help of owner John Sharp and Peekskill music teacher John Hahn. The show is at 10 p.m. Dec. 22. Eric Benjamin (solo acoustic singer/songwriter), Caravela (brother duet, singer/songwriters) and This Old Ghost will perform. There is a suggested donation of $5, which will go to the Peekskill High School music program. Attendees can also buy $5 raffle tickets for a chance to win gift certificates to local establishments (the show's sponsers), the , , and, or TOG t-shirts.

Four of the five members of the band: Pizzaloto, Ryan Sniffen, Karri Diomede and Brendan Coughlan, grew up playing music in Yorktown and Hendrick Hudson schools and say that it has impacted their music careers. Lead singer and songwriter Ian McGuinness is currently a music student at Purchase College.

“It was important to all of us because it gave us formal training, and a basic understand of music. It was also an outlet to express ourselves. I know for me it was a great escape from the all the dreaded classes I had to sit through,” Pizzaloto said.

PHS music teacher John Hahn has invited TOG to talk to his students about music careers and their experiencing being in a band.

“We're excited,” Pizzaloto said. “It feels good to give back to our community, and to make sure that kids have instruments and resources to learn and play music in school.”

The benefit show begins at 10 p.m. Dec. 22 at the Birdsall House in Peekskill.

___

Thanks for reading. Please also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.