By Elizabeth Pierdominici

Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, in association with Hofstra Concerts and the Save the Music Foundation, hosted a charity band showcase on Saturday to raise money for the preservation of endangered music programs in New York state public schools.

Save the Music Foundation works closely with public schools around the nation whose music programs are at risk of being cut out of their curriculum. The foundation donates money to buy instruments, a crucial yet costly aspect of music programs.

Phi Eta Sigma raised approximately $300 and will participate in a bowl-a-thon on Friday to raise more money for the cause. All proceeds from ticket sales, raffles and donations will be sent to the foundation, said Christina Cipriano, honor society president.

The charity event featured performances by local and out-of-state bands to promote appreciation of music and the importance of music education. The band line-up included The Opus, Drop it Jeffrey, Through Broken Eyes and Cast in Shadows.

Those who attended did not walk away empty handed. Most of the bands offered free samples of their music and a representative from Sony Music gave away a wide variety of free merchandise from various recording artists.

“I know people who are pursuing careers in music and if they didn’t have music programs in middle school or high school, they would not have the experience or opportunities they need to succeed,” said Nicolina Boccone, sophomore public relations major and Phi Eta Sigma member.

Although the honor society participates in several events that benefit the community, the showcase, which took two years to organize, proved to be one of the most complex yet successful first attempts of its kind, Agata Jasinewski, activities liaison for Phi Eta Sigma, said.

“The turn-out for the event was not as large as I hoped it to be,” Boccone said. “However, the event itself went smoothly and I feel that our efforts really helped to save the music.”

Phi Eta Sigma plans to incorporate the showcase as a tradition and will work with Concerts and Save the Music Foundation in the future.

“I am so excited that the showcase will be a tradition,” Amy Hudak, a member said. “I hope that there will be more bands from different music genres and more people to come out and support the Save the Music Foundation.”