New Austin-based nonprofit initiative “A Chance to Rock” is excited to announce their second fundraising event of the year taking place on Monday, May 1st upstairs at Antone’s Nightclub, featuring a never-before-seen, collaborative performance from Kathy Valentine (The Go-Go’s, Rock n Roll Hall of Fame) and indie rock phenom Zach Person who will be playing together on stage for the very first time, and who are also both local ambassadors for the nonprofit. The event will also feature guest speakers sharing how “A Chance to Rock” has impacted their lives. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event starts at 7 p.m. 

“We wanted to make this very special for donors to experience something totally unique and special,” said A Chance to Rock Founder and Band Aid School of Music Owner, James Mays. “That’s why I’ve asked A-List music artists to collaborate with each other and create something you’ve never heard before. If we are going to help more kids we need to think even more creatively. This is NOT something you want to miss!”

Established in 2022, and supported by local partners Nelda Studios and Austin Angels, “A Chance to Rock” is a nonprofit program that provides music lessons and instruments to children experiencing foster care and offers an outlet to express themselves musically on an individualized and personal level. Their mission is to empower artists to heal the world, starting with music education for children. “A Chance to Rock” hosted their first fundraising event of 2023 back in February at the Band Aid School of Music featuring music from beloved Austin artists Graham Weber and Jane Ellen Bryant. Ambassadors for the “A Chance to Rock” program include local Austin musicians Kathy Valentine (The Go-Go’s), Ray Benson (Asleep at the Wheel), Adrian Quesada (Black Pumas), Nakia (The Voice), Matthew Logan Vasquez (Delta Spirit) and Zach Person.   

“I have really enjoyed being an ambassador for A Chance to Rock and love knowing that the funds raised from these events go to help young kids in need who are interested in playing music,” said Kathy Valentine. “Collaborating with Zach was a blast and I’m looking forward to playing our new song for supporters of A Chance to Rock.”

“Giving a kid a musical instrument is giving them consistency,” said Zach Person. “When everything in their life is changing…where they live, who they live with, schools…music can be one constant for them.” 

Initially conceived by James Mays, “A Chance to Rock” offers a wide array of music lessons, including piano, guitar, drums, voice, bass, ukulele, and more to come. There are currently four schools participating in the “A Chance to Rock” program, including Band Aid School of Music, Don’t Stop Rockin’, Allegro and Round Rock Music School.

“The access to music, instruction, musical instruments, just the ability to have them is so important because it gives kids direction,” said Ray Benson (Asleep at the Wheel). “It gives them a goal and an activity that helps with socialization. It’s so important because creativity is the basis of all good things in my opinion, no matter the field, no matter the age, and music helps in creativity. I just hope that some kids get to experience the joy of making music.” 

ABOUT “A CHANCE TO ROCK”:

A Chance to Rock provides free weekly private and group music lessons and classes for a wide variety of instruments, including piano, guitar, voice, drums, bass, and ukulele. The instruments used by each child are provided free of charge to help them build a passion for music. In addition, the children are provided the opportunity to bring their new skills into the spotlight with multiple professionally organized stage performances each year, giving each and every child their own personal chance to rock. For more information about “A Chance to Rock,” see www.achancetorock.org. To contact the organization, please reach out to info@achancetorock.org.

More information on the upcoming event can be found here and tickets are available here with a suggested donation. All donations will go directly to “A Chance to Rock” in their efforts to provide music education to children experiencing foster care. For more information about “A Chance to Rock,” see here.