This time of year is always busy for musicians, with Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter services all taking place within the coming week (and they call it Spring “Break” - hah!) And until about two weeks ago, I was feeling a mix of relief, confusion, and self pity as I looked at my calendar and realized I didn’t have that many gigs on the books.
And then, I learned of a situation a friend was in, and the relative freedom in my schedule became a blessing in disguise.
For the past week, I have been tirelessly coordinating two benefit concerts to help raise funds for a friend in need. This friend, Raul, arrived in the US legally in September 2023 on a humanitarian parole visa. Within a year of arriving, he applied for asylum, a process I’ve read can take 6-12 months under the best of circumstances so it’s best to start early. After the new administration took office, Raul’s application vanished from the system. About a month ago, it was announced that the humanitarian parole visa would be terminated, and although he was originally granted permission to stay in the country until September 2025, Raul now faces deportation after April 24. He will also lose his work visa, leaving him little options. With no income, Raul will struggle with the most basic expenses, and it will be impossible for him to pay for legal fees which are necessary to restart his asylum application process. You can read his (quite honestly shocking) story and find more information on Raul’s GoFundMe.
The concerts we are putting on are FREE admission. We are running purely on donations and the goodness of people’s hearts. The proceeds will go 100% towards Raul’s legal fees. The program is Latin-inspired and is entirely arranged and written by myself and one of the performing violinists, Matthew Gattuso. Whether you would like to support our cause or just want to hear some good music, please join us! Coming from someone who truly enjoys performing, it’s always better to play to a full hall than to an empty one.
Sunday, April 13, 2025 @ 7:30PM
Lord of Life Lutheran Church
5114 Twinbrook Rd, Fairfax, VA 22032
Monday, April 14, 2025 @ 7:30PM
Saint James’ Episcopal Church
73 Culpeper St, Warrenton, VA 20186
