Give Bach!

"Boredom always precedes a period of great creativity"

Robert M. Pirsig

Like most kids in Santa Fe, Sasha and Jack Smucker finished last school year stuck at home taking their classes online due to Covid restrictions. The spring was pretty boring and their summer plans were cancelled. The siblings were at a loss - what would they do with their summer?

Both are devoted musicians and knew they would need to continue practicing their instruments. As a family, they came up with the idea of offering small, outside, Covid-safe mini-performances, and decided they could ask their audiences to donate to a favorite cause: Communities In Schools! They wittily named their project "Give Bach", and before they knew it, they were booking engagements.

Sasha (12) set up a website, helped manage the logistics, and tracked donations. Having played violin for eight years, she also occasionally participated in the performances. Jack (9), a cello player for six years, especially appreciates playing in front of an audience and performed many of the pieces on his own. On occasion, their mother, Jessica, a violinist with Santa Fe Pro Musica, would also join and the family would perform as a trio.

This summer Give Bach held 32 performances, raising just over $6,000. A generous donor matched their efforts bringing their total to $12,150! Sasha and Jack, CIS is MOST grateful for your generosity, time and commitment to support Santa Fe students and their families! And, for those of you who enjoyed a Give Bach concert, thank you for supporting CIS!