Concert on April 25th in support of World Literacy

Mark Friday, April 25th on your calendar and plan to attend the World Literacy Concert at St. Andrew’s Place at 8 pm. You’ll not only enjoy first rate entertainment, you’ll also support a good cause.

The World Literacy Concert will feature Paul Dunn as well as headliners, Richard Underhill and The Philip May Trio. Proceeds from the concert will help cover the costs of shipping 10,000 books to two schools in Haiti as part of the Books for Reading program.

Admission is $20 for adults and $12 for students (with appropriate identification). Tickets are available at Octave Music, Black Cat, Prom Music, Guitar Clinic, and Durham Natural Foods.

About the World Literacy Concert

The featured performer will be Richard Underhill, a two-time Juno recipient, and an outstanding jazz saxophone musician.  His most recent album, Kensington Market, has been nominated for a Juno for Best Instrumental album of the year. The Philip May Trio will accompany Underhill.

Richard Underhill’s wonderful warm alto sound, great writing and arranging skills and in-from-the-outside soloing make him one of Canada’s most distinctive jazz performers. Richard Underhill won a 2003 Juno award for his jazz solo debut ‘Tales from the Blue Lounge’ and was nominated for the Prix du Jazz at the 2003 Montreal Jazz Festival. The founding member of Toronto’s acclaimed Shuffle Demons, he has toured Europe and Canada to critical acclaim for over 22 years. A truly original jazz composer and arranger, Richard’s exciting original music captivates audiences with singable melodies, outstanding musicianship and engaging performances.

Philip May started playing the drums professionally at the age of 14. He has performed and recorded with a variety of musical artists and groups including Holly Cole, Reg Schwager, Ed Bickert, Hilario Duran, Gene Pitney, and Jeff Healey. He studied music at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston and at York University in Toronto where he was a member of the Oscar Peterson Workshop. He is Dream Cymbals most recent endorser.

The concert will open with accomplished guitarists Paul Dunn, GaryDiSalle and Tom Linklater with a mix of original folk and blues songs. 

Paul Dunn has been up and down that proverbial highway more times than he can remember. Between drives, he has written umpteen songs, completed two CDs of his own and produced one for the talented Sarah Craig. He tours with his son Brian and guitar virtuosos Philip Candelaria and Gary DiSalle.

Gary DiSalle has played with countless internationally known performing and recording artists. He is Northern Ontario’s premier electric guitarist. Gary DiSalle currently teaches at Sudbury Secondary School in the Performing Arts program and maintains a busy playing schedule with such renowned musical groups as Broche à Foin and the innovative Guitars Alive Trio.

About the Books for Reading Program

For several years, the Books for Reading program has grown from the collection of used school supplies stored in a home garage to a large scale operation providing educational tools to needy children.  The program is part of the humanitarian aid efforts of the Mission of T.E.A.R.S., a local non-profit agency serving several countries. 

"The mandate of the Books for Reading project is to put school supplies into the hands of children in order to improve literacy and reduce poverty," says Guy Campeau who heads the project on behalf of Mission of T.E.A.R.S.  "Reading opens the door to a whole new world. With education, children can become employed adults, breaking the cycle of poverty," he says. 

Over 130,000 books and school supplies from the Greater Sudbury area have been shipped to Jamaica, Mali, Haiti, Burundi and Ethiopia.  "Hundreds of children and school staff now have books to study," says Campeau. "Several public libraries have been established in villages and cities.  Educational films, audio and visual equipment, desks and chalk boards have also found their way to remote mountainous regions." 

Many individuals and groups have donated books, time, gifts in kind and finances to make the project a success. Participants include Rainbow District School Board, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, Taylor Beange Doors and Frames, Vale Inco, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation and the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, to name a few.

About Mission of T.E.A.R.S.

Mission of T.E.A.R.S. is a registered Federal Charity in operation since 1993 based in Toronto. "Our motto is nothing started without hope, nothing finished without faith, nothing accomplished without love," says Campeau. "Our motto is reflected in our name. T.E.A.R.S. stands for Teaching, Educating, Advocating, Resourcing and Serving."

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Media Contact:

Guy Campeau

507-5171 – day

525-4487 – evening