Marjory Stoneman Douglas Marching Band Holds Benefit Concert

by Guest Contributer August 6, 2019

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By: Jen Russon

A benefit concert featuring renditions of songs by Elvis, Sinatra, Neil Diamond and Jay Black of Cara Mia fame has been organized, honoring two Marjory Stoneman Douglas band members killed in the February 2018 shooting.

Parkland vocalist, Jason Frybergh, who just goes by Jay on stage, is donating his time and 100 percent of the proceeds to the Eagle Regiment Band Scholarship Fund, created in memory of Gina Montalto and Alex Schachter.

Alex and Gina fulfilled essential roles in the Marching Eagles: Gina was a member of the winter guard, and Alex played trombone in both band and orchestra.

“My son, who was a freshman the year of the shooting and played trombone in the band, sat right next to Alex, who was then first chair,” recalled Frybergh of the Coral Springs teen.

The singer explained he created the scholarship fund to strengthen a program he feels is an excellent way for kids to learn together and connect like one big family.

Frybergh added he didn’t know Gina Moltanto personally, but his son did, and that the front row of the concert venue is reserved for the Montalto and Schacter families.

Jay and his Super Fan band are looking to make the concert planned later this month an annual event that raises money for the scholarship fund; having already raised nearly $30,000 in scholarships, the fund hopes to add at least five thousand more dollars to the fund with each performance.

Frybergh said this isn’t such a daunting goal, as he loves to perform. The singer lives in Parkland and has been touring with his band for many years, performing on cruise ships and venues around the world.

Soon, he will take to the Township Center stage, with his philharmonic band and perform Elvis classics, like Unchained Melody, Are You Lonesome Tonight, Hurt and others.

Sponsored by Conrad & Scherer, a 45-year-old Fort Lauderdale law firm, the concert promotes the continued growth of Marjory Stoneman Douglas’s Eagle Regiment, its concert bands, jazz bands, and indoor guard percussion programs. It also helps reduce entrance fees into the band program for families who could use financial assistance.

The curtain rises on Friday, August 16 at 8.p.m. at the Township Center for the Performing Arts, on 2452 Lyons Road in Coconut Creek. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased through mepa.ticketleap.com or by calling 954-970-0606 Tuesday through Saturday or by contacting mepabenefit@gmail.com.