A unique food bank music benefit project created by 2 local musicians, Grace Stumberg & Bob James, has been recognized by the Albany County Legislature for its current 15 city tour holding benefit events for community foodbanks. The Legislative proclamation will be presented to Buffalo’s Stumberg & Nashville’s Pete Mroz during the final tour date, July 28 during a large street event at Franklins Tower in downtown Albany.
“tunes4food” is uniquely Buffalo, as it started here with a continuous 25 hour concert on the steps of City Hall in June 2009.
Since then, a range of events and a benefit CD has raised over 50,000 meals for the needy in WNY.
A growing national need and the artists dedication to making music serve others in a measurable way led to the 6 state tour to raise awareness & donations for many members of the national network: Feeding America, www.feedingamerica.org.
The 21 day tour, featuring acoustic rock singer-songwriters Stumberg & Mroz is playing music clubs and special house concert events in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Indiana in a campaign to feed the needy.
BUFFALO TOUR STOP
The tour stops in Buffalo on July 23rd, for a 3pm event at the Sportsmen’s Tavern with added special guests Gathy Carfanga & Dave Meinzer. The Buffalo stop also gives the locals a first introduction to Nashville’s Pete Mroz (photo) who just finished recording a CD with a big name LA producer, Warren Huart (The Fray, Howie Day, James Blunt) who is current working on the new Aerosmith CD.
South Buffalo’s Grace Stumberg, is a 22 year old graduate of Robby Takac’s Music is Art’s Music in Action program – www.musicisart.org. She helped launch ‘tunes4food’ in 2009, released her critically praised debutCD in 2010, and has had invited involvements & performances with America’s Got Talent, The Road Trip Nation TV Show and Festival Promoters, like Music Is Art, Corn Hill Festival, Millennium Music Conference, CMJ and others.
“Taking ‘tunes4food’ (see press) on the road shows off Buffalo as a community rich with creative ideas and caring for others,” states Mike Billoni, Marketing Director for the Food Bank of WNY – “We are proud to be a part of this venture that can now spread its impact to other communities in need. We are excited to welcome the tour when it hits Buffalo next week.”
The tour runs from July 10-29.
For more information please contact:
Bob James at 716-912-6656 / bobjames1@aol.com