Musician to hold anti-bullying benefit
By: Mark Gruba
Updated: January 23, 2012
Local musician Melia Maccarone is joining the fight against bullying with a benefit concert this Friday at the Montage Music Hall in Rochester.
All the proceeds from the show will go to the Pacer Center, a national organization that helps school districts with anti-bullying programs. "I just wanted to make sure that I did something," she said during a rehearsal break Monday night.
The 2009 Spencerport High School graduate said she was a victim of bullying during middle school and high school. Writing music and taking up the guitar at 16 made her feel things would get better and took her away from feelings of low self-esteem. Now Maccarone wants to share her inspriation with other kids who may be battling bullies. "If you're different, I think that's a good thing," she said. "I think it's good to be your own person and be original, and I think that's what happened to me, I just started realizing, through music, that it's a good thing to be different, it's a good thing to be your own person."
Friday's concert will feature five different bands, including Maccarone, who is playing with bassist Tim Latus and drummer James McGowan. Also performing Friday will be Red Inc., Mouth Full, Love Tunnels and This Life.
The concert begins at 7 p.m. and goes until midnight. Tickets are $7 in advance, $10 at the door. To learn more about how to get tickets, go to Facebook.com/meliarocks.
Maccarone is hoping to organize another concert that will be open to kids 12 and up. She's also preformed and spoken to students in Spencerport and Brockport.
Her CD, Soundproofs Walls, was released last August.
All the proceeds from the show will go to the Pacer Center, a national organization that helps school districts with anti-bullying programs. "I just wanted to make sure that I did something," she said during a rehearsal break Monday night.
The 2009 Spencerport High School graduate said she was a victim of bullying during middle school and high school. Writing music and taking up the guitar at 16 made her feel things would get better and took her away from feelings of low self-esteem. Now Maccarone wants to share her inspriation with other kids who may be battling bullies. "If you're different, I think that's a good thing," she said. "I think it's good to be your own person and be original, and I think that's what happened to me, I just started realizing, through music, that it's a good thing to be different, it's a good thing to be your own person."
Friday's concert will feature five different bands, including Maccarone, who is playing with bassist Tim Latus and drummer James McGowan. Also performing Friday will be Red Inc., Mouth Full, Love Tunnels and This Life.
The concert begins at 7 p.m. and goes until midnight. Tickets are $7 in advance, $10 at the door. To learn more about how to get tickets, go to Facebook.com/meliarocks.
Maccarone is hoping to organize another concert that will be open to kids 12 and up. She's also preformed and spoken to students in Spencerport and Brockport.
Her CD, Soundproofs Walls, was released last August.
