Musicians Jam to Raise Funds for Japan

Music makers will donate their time to play jazz and pop tunes this weekend for a special cause. All they ask is that everyone who stops by to listen donates $5 to help victims of last month’s tsunami in Japan.

At 3 p.m. on May 1, professional musicians will present a concert at The Strings Connection in Palos Verdes.

The concert is the first performance for Animal-Loving Musicians Support. The group started just a few months ago after Redondo Beach teacher Deborah Y. Chew put out a call on Meetup.com, asking if there were any professional musicians who wanted to help animals.

“I don't have enough money to donate to all the legitimate and courageous animal rescues I know, so I want to help them by performing for them,” Chew said.

Chew, who is passionate about animal care, whether wild or domestic, was “very moved to find out how many compassionate musicians are really out there in the world.”

Once they got together to rehearse, she found they were not only compassionate, but talented as well.

“I’ve just been really impressed by the quality of musicianship,” Chew said.

Besides Chew, who will be singing and playing guitar, Sunday’s ensemble is made up of drummer J. Anthony Riedelsheimer, head of The Music Factory in Costa Mesa, and pianist Alan DiCenzo.

When Chew stopped by The Strings Connection in March to put up flyers for her new group, she met owner Cordi Koga. After hearing about the group, Koga offered her facility as a concert venue.

A. Kanna Jones, of Rancho Palos Verdes, is a dancer, not a musician, but she is also one of the founders of ALMS.

“They are not strictly for musicians only,” Jones said.

She pointed out that anyone who wants to support the group can help. Jones will be collecting the donations, and will personally deliver part of the money to the Japanese Consulate, who will turn it over to Japan’s Red Cross.

Another portion of the funds raised will go to the Los Angeles nonprofit Diamonds In The Ruff, an animal rescue group that will forward donations to animal rescue groups in Japan.

Jones, who has family in Japan, is also no stranger to activism, having founded the group Dance4Oceans. She and a troupe of school children dress in plastic bags and perform to raise awareness about polluted oceans.

“You don’t learn unless you’re interested,” Jones said. "Dance4Oceans and ALMS use dance and music to get people interested."