Music and charity will meet and combine their efforts to help Utah's families-in-need during an upcoming solo piano concert.

On Sept. 19, George Winston will transform his piano solo concert at the Covey Center for the Arts in Provo into a charitable event that will benefit local community members.

Winston, an artist with seven multi-platinum, platinum and gold records, will collaborate with Community Action Services in Provo to bring relief to needy families.

"This is a usual pattern for him," said Jim Thomas, Community Action Services food bank director. "When he does a concert he has a local charity involved, a food bank for instance."

The artist will donate 50 percent of the net profits from the concert, or $200, whichever is greater.

Audience members are encouraged to bring non-perishable donations to the concerts as well that could be used by the food bank to help the local community.

Thomas said there is definitely a local need for the donations.

"We serve over 100 families a day," he said. "It goes to local people, mostly here in Provo."

Winston started combining his music with charity in 1986. He said he learned about need and hunger through his past experiences hitchhiking. Winston said there were instances when he did not know where he was going to get food and soup kitchens were a relief.

Winston plays over a hundred solo piano concerts a year in America and abroad, and at almost every concert he works with a local food bank to do a food drive.

"I always wanted to help communities," Winston said.

Winston said that he once saw an artist doing a food drive during his concert and he was inspired. He started doing food drives and then felt the natural step was to tie CD proceeds to the donations.

This is the first time the artist will be playing in Provo and he will be playing his Summer Show. In general, Winston said he plays in three genres.

"I play three styles; New Orleans R&B piano, and the majority of songs I play are in this style," Winston said. "Stride piano, which was the main way of playing that I worked on after hearing Fats Waller and Teddy Wilson, and third, folk piano, the style that I came up with in 1971, which is influenced and inspired by instrumental R&B and rock, North American folk music and even more by the sound of the piano itself."

Tickets for the event $20-$25 and non-perishable food donations are encouraged.



Copyright Brigham Young University 18 Sep 2008