Swing Time

NEA Today, Mar 2004 by Ross, Cheryl

Seventy-six percent of choral singers participate in charity work, according to a survey by Chorus America, a national organization that promotes choral music.

THAT DOESN'T SURPRISE PIANIST AND MUSIC TEACHER

Fran DePalma-Iozzi, who has spent the past 14 years tickling the ivories for her philanthropic swing band.

Reeds, Rhythm, and all That Brass emerged about 30 years ago with 17 musicians, one singer, and two missions: preserve 1940s big band music and donate their earnings to charity. To date, the group has raised more than $1 million for organizations such as the American Heart Association and Habitat for Humanity. band members vote before each performance about whether the benefactor is a bona fide charity. Otherwise, the band's benevolence could be abused by wealthier organizations clearly capable of hiring a paid band.

"We don't want to take a job away from regular musicians who are earning a living," says DePalma-Iozzi, who teaches at James Caldwell High School and Jefferson Elementary School in New Jersey.

After years of entertaining, DePalma-Iozzi still finds fulfillment in the band's charitable endeavors. In fact, at times she feels a little guilty for taking so much pleasure in the pastime.

"It's joyful to feel that you're doing something meaningful," DePalma-Iozzi says. "It gives me back much more than I give."

-CHERYL ROSS