EASTPOINTE, Mich. – ShamRock Jazz Orchestra is raising funds for Eastpointe High School’s music program with a benefit concert, hoping to inspire change and state funding for the arts.
When members of the ShamRock Jazz Orchestra took a tour of Eastpointe High School, it struck a chord.
“Very old instruments in disrepair, lack of participation, obviously a lack of funding and so we wanted to do something about that,” orchestra member Jeff Kapuscinski said.
A far cry from the 1970s and 1980s when it was known as East Detroit High School.
Kapuscinski was in the class of 1979. “During those years, East Detroit High School, which was how it was known back then, was really among the best bands in the state of Michigan,” he said.
The ShamRock Jazz Orchestra, which is made up of East Detroit and Eastpointe alumni, was formed in 2021. The group is hosting a fundraiser at Eastpointe High School on May 19 at 7 p.m. for the school’s music program.
“Music was a way of life for a lot of us. It was our after-school activity. Music is a universal language. And it also instills, I think, a sense of pride and teamwork, similar to the way that sports do,” Kapuscinski said.
Beckham Butler is in their first year as band director at the school.
“So you hand a kid an instrument thinking, ‘Okay, this is great.’ And as soon as they go to play it, something’s broken on it. And it can be really discouraging for the kid,” Butler said.
And that’s impacting participation. Right now there are fewer than 20 students in the program.
Butler is hoping the benefit concert will begin to change that.
“I’m going to be playing bari sax with them. So I’m super excited to get a chance to perform. And the kids are excited,” Butler said.
Eastpointe isn’t the only school with a struggling music program. That’s why school officials believe the state should increase funding.
“We teach kids reading, writing, arithmetic. But if they don’t have the arts, they don’t have anything to read and write and think about. So I think it’s incredibly shortsighted sometimes that we cut those things. But on the other hand, a lot of state policy forces us to do that,” assistant principal Eric Ceresa said.
Tickets for the benefit concert are $27.
For more information on tickets or how to make a donation, visit the orchestra’s website by clicking here.