Acoustic Alchemy Special Fund Raiser Concert
Date: Tue, October 20th 2009Additional Time Info: 8:00 p.m.
Related Series: Blair Mansion Summer Concert Series
Event Tags: Music Performances | Silver Spring's Got JAZZ!
Location: Blair Mansion Inn Restaurant
UKs Acoustic Alchemy to Headline Dianne Grainger Fundraiser at Historic Blair Mansion in Silver Spring, Maryland
On Tuesday, October 20, the UK s masters of smooth jazz, Acoustic Alchemy, will break from their U.S. tour to honor the late percussionist at the venue where she last performed. The night will be a very special one as friends and family from the jazz community come together for a most unforgettable evening and pay tribute to a truly remarkable person. Proceeds from the event will establish the Dianne Nichol Grainger Scholarship Fund to benefit young people pursuing professional careers in music and music education.
Dianne was surrounded by music her entire life. Her father, Greg Grainger, played with contemporary crossover greats Peaches and Herb, Whitney Houston, Lonnie Liston Smith, and today, is the drummer for saxophonist Kim Waters, and Acoustic Alchemy. Her uncle, Gary Grainger, is a renowned bassist whose artistry is heard on the work of Ken Navarro, Paul Reed Smith, and John Scofield. Diannes passing is the single most difficult thing weve ever had to face said Joyce Grainger, Diannes mother. Dianne lost her life in early August as the result of complications from accidental head trauma. A few weeks ago, Gary and I played with Carlos Santana recounts Greg. Dianne wasnt there to laugh and talk shop with us after that gig. She didnt meet or play for Carlos. That was hard. Right now, our faith, the love of family and friends, and working on Diannes dream keeps us going.
The genesis of that dream was seeded while Dianne was yet a student at Howard University in Washington , D.C. There, she was a member of the universitys Show Time Marching Band, Concert Band, and Jazz Band. She was also inducted into the Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women-Delta Nu Chapter, and was the recipient of the prestigious Zildijan Percussion Award which is conferred upon the music major degree candidate that has demonstrated the most outstanding percussion skills from amongst their cohort. Dianne was a partner in forming the Marching Elite Band, a community Band for inner city youth in Baltimore , Maryland . The members of that ensemble ranged in ages from 10 to 16. They were taught to play instruments while in step routine and classic marching band formation for field performance, not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. But, like the students that Dianne taught in her Deer Park Middle School classroom, the young Marching Elite learned discipline and precision. They learned respect, honor and purpose as Dianne was a demanding task master and a doting mentor all rolled up into one. She grew to believe that any child that loved music as much as she deserved the opportunity to make that passion their lifes work.
We know that Diannes spirit will be right there with us on the 20th when we celebrate her artistry and her dream said Ray Zeender, a partner in the Blair Mansion and cousin of the Grainger family. This coming together of everyone that knew this special person is, we think, the best way for all of us to help each other heal. Gary Grainger will co-produce the nights event as well as perform with his brother. Dianne was an extraordinary person he said. Her genius went beyond her music to the way that she taught people to care about one another. Not many of us develop that kind of humanity in just 24 years of life. We will build her dream one child at a time.
For more information about the Dianne Nichol Grainger Scholarship Fund fundraiser, contact Ray Zeender at the Blair Mansion , 7711 Eastern Avenue, in Silver Spring . Telephone (301) 588-1688.
