"Parents Who Rock" Rocked it For Essex County Kids

‘Tis the season for fundraising in Montclair, and if you are philanthropic, you will find no shortage of benefits to attend.  Such was the case for many happy guests who attended the Parents Who Rock’s Tapastree Event last night. 

The Spanish Tapas Cocktail Party was so named because, like a tapestry, the event wove together several Essex County organizations that share a common goal: supporting children.  Alma Schneider, founder of Parents Who Rock, explained that the idea was first considered last fall, when Schneider and a few other Nishuane parents were all at a party talking about helping each other with fundraising events.  “We were going to do them one after another and a few months ago, we thought, why not do one big event?” she said.

Parents Who Rock is a consortium of musicians that band together (no pun intended) for gigs and benefits that better the community through various organized events.  “I’m not sure how many events we do in a year,” said Schneider.  “A lot.”

The group consists of over a hundred musicians and has become a networking body as well as a community service mainstay. “One of the artists who is playing tonight was actually my inspiration for starting Parents Who Rock, although I don’t know if he knows it.  I’d just moved here from Manhattan and had resigned myself to a life that no longer included listening to live music when I happened upon him playing at Luna Stage,” said Schneider, referring to guitarist Ivan Max, one of the three main acts who performed.  “I was blown away and it made me realize how much talent is out here, so I started putting it together.” 

Max performed Flamenco guitar, along with dancer, Sylvia Nava and singer/dancer Klaus Jekeli. Also on the bill was guitarist Paul Ruderman and sitar player Adam Laboz, who played with his band, MyMyndMocean. 

The evening was catered by Tapastry restaurant, on Church Street, which, for Schneider, was pure serendipity.  “Years ago, I lived in Spain and when I moved to Manhattan, there was a Tapas restaurant I practically lived at,” she said.  “It was called La Xunta, and I went there for 15 years.  It was like my Cheers.  When we were talking about this event in the fall, I discovered that the owners of that restaurant had moved here, to Montclair!  You can’t believe how excited I was.  I went home and called my whole family: La Xunta is here in Montclair!”

Those benefiting from the gala are all Newark-based operations: Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Essex, Lotus in Action, Essex County and the Link Community School in Newark.  “We think of Newark as so far off, but there’s really a blurring of the border,” said Schneider.  “So many of us here in town work there; it’s another way we’re all woven together.” 

Although Schneider stages many fundraising events, she is the first to admit she doesn’t do it alone.  The team for last night’s gala included Leslie Kunkin (Parents Who Rock), Wendy Lacey (the Link School), Michele Williers (Big Brothers/Big Sisters), and Sam Kaplan and Jacquie Ruderman (Lotus in Action).  The guest of honor Deputy Mayor of Newark, Margarita Muniz, delivered a heartfelt thanks between some of the musical performances. “When good folks step up to the plate and do what needs to be done – things that no one else is willing to do – there’s nothing left to do but say thank you…gracias,” she said.  

One of the other speakers of the evening was Jennifer Kohl, Founder and Director of Lotus in Action, who expressed her gratitude and acknowledged the groups’ good works.  “This is why we do yoga,” she said, “to learn to pay attention to what’s really important.  When we do that, we’re participating in the highest practice of yoga.” 

One special treat of the evening was a performance by Dynamic Dynasty, a break dancing group who wowed the crowd by showing what kinds of things are going on in the Newark performance scene.  The group consisted of five young men who practice several hours a day in space provided by Lotus in Action.  

Food and drink was plentiful and the entertainment was lively.  “If anyone wants more information about any of these great organizations, we have links to them all on the Parents Who Rock website,” said Schneider. 

www.parentswhorock.com