Bread And Roses

Miss Kitty at Papermill Creek Children's Center, 10/17/2011. Video courtesy of Sharon Glenn.

Highly revered children's performer Miss Kitty shows the way to connect with Bread & Roses' younger audiences.   At a recent concert for children at Papermill Creek pre-school at Pt. Reyes Station, she was a big hit with over twenty children many of whom were from the Head Start program in West Marin.

A professional entertainer for three decades, Miss Kitty (aka Judy Nee) has been a volunteer performer for Bread & Roses for 13 years.  Judy is a real master of her craft knowing exactly how to vary the tempo of her songs for children and to keep her programs interactive. She spoke recently about the secret to her success in connecting with children everywhere:

"I look them in the eyes, find out their names, and respond to them as individuals."

About 1/3 of Bread & Roses current program service is dedicated to concerts for children and youth throughout the Bay Area.  Many of our volunteer entertainers for children are like Miss Kitty: performers who sang in rock and roll bands before doing music for children.   

Judy has a number of recordings for children including My Miss Kitty: Sweet & Simple - Most Requested Toddler Sing Along Songs and Just Because You're You which was produced by the late Jim Rothermel, another beloved Bread & Roses performer.  

Many of our performers for both institutional and benefit concerts for Bread & Roses have recordings for children including Maria Muldaur's  Barnyard Dance: Jug Band Music for Kids and Animal Crackers in My Soup.  Keb Mo's Big Wide Grin features songs from his own childhood along with some originals.    

We are always on the lookout for more quality performers to do concerts for our youngest audiences.  Please let us know if you might be able to help in this way - you can contact us by email at info@breadandroses.org or you can fill out an application on our volunteer page.

If you are already a Bread & Roses volunteer performer, please leave a comment below and share your experiences.

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Is it Opera??

More than a few of you have called to ask this about our Fall Benefit Concert featuring mezzo soprano Frederica von Stade.

So, is it opera?

Not according to Frederica. There will be operatic elements, but Frederica's repertoire will more closely resemble an intimate classical recital. "It will be My Life in Song," she said when we posed the question to her. "I will be singing excerpts from Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking, an aria from Werther, and a special song by John Musto titled, 'Litany,' which is based on Langston Hughes' poem 'Shadow of the Blues.' "

When asked why she chose to lend her talents in support of Bread & Roses, Frederica warmly responded by saying:

"People who are suffering, who are down and out, who are living in poverty, don't know that they are loved. Bread & Roses is about healing and helping them. We remind them that they are God's special creatures, even when the world tells them they're not."

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Micah Press and his jazz combo at the San Rafael farmer's market.

Fall is a time when many nonprofits step up their fundraising efforts in order to meet end-of-year goals. This fall, Bread & Roses was delighted to be on the receiving end of the generosity of thirteen-year-old Micah Press, who took our mission to the streets with the help of his school’s jazz combo.

We first met Micah a few months ago when he set out to raise money in support of our organization. Being a musician himself, he said that of all the Marin nonprofits he could support, he felt most aligned with the mission and impact of Bread & Roses. In order to raise money, Micah played with his jazz combo at the San Rafael farmers market and requested that for his bar mitzvah, his guests make contributions to Bread & Roses in lieu of gifts.

In an ironic turn of events, we were recently able to give back to Micah when he spent time at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital for a neck problem. Singer/songwriter Francesca Lee (who is also a Bread & Roses producer) performed a bedside concert for Micah, reminding him that through his generosity, he had become a cherished member of the Bread & Roses extended family.

Recently, Micah was discharged from the hospital, and one of the first things he did was to deliver his donation. Amazingly, he exceeded his goal of raising $1,800, a number he chose because in Judaism, the number 18 is an expression of life. Micah says that he will continue to raise money for Bread & Roses with the help of his jazz trio once he is fully recovered. In the meantime, we will use his generous gift to sponsor shows for kids in other pediatric hospitals throughout the Bay Area.

Thank you Micah. A whole lot of hope, healing and joy will soon be shared thanks to your generosity.

By Liz Donaldson

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Michael Pritchard as Emcee at Bread & Roses Volunteer Celebration on August 28, 2011

For the past several years, Michael Pritchard has been Bread & Roses ambassador-at-large. As a comedian and motivational speaker,  he helps us convey the heart of our work and inspires all to continue Mimi Farina's legacy of providing  hope and healing through live music and the performing arts to those isolated in institutions who need it most. As emcee at our recent volunteer celebration at the Freight & Salvage, Michael reminded us that it is generosity of spirit that connects us and makes us happy. 

Appearing in the new independent documentary The Happy Movie,  Michael Pritchard helps us understand how to measure happiness. Those of us who live in the Bay Area can see the film Friday September 30 &  Saturday October 1 at 7 pm at The Rafael Film Center in San Rafael and afterwards hear Michael in a Q & A with Associate Producer Omid Heidari.   The Happy Movie will be shown at The Rafael for six days only (through Oct. 5) so don't miss the opportunity to see it.  It will also be screened on Monday Oct. 24 at 5:30 pm in Palo Alto as part of the United Nations Association Film Festival co-sponsored by the Stanford Film Society and the UNA Mid-Peninsula Chapter.  

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