| mattwesselmusic.com |
| what is a concert for life? (or as we call it ... a CFL) |
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| March 11, 2007 - Concert For Life St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church - Gurnee, IL The 7th Annual CFL. I think it was our best. Some of the new things we tried included a slideshow of Kate Pedersen during "Kate's Song" and of our trip to D.C. during "If We Walk". The "Baseball Song" also featured three of my friends in umpire gear! We pulled in $12,000 more than last year! TOTAL RAISED: $36,000 SONGS PREMIERED: "This Could Be" Playlist | Journal | Press (1) | Press (2) | AUDIO: Baseball Song | Pics |
| WHAT IS A "CONCERT FOR LIFE"? A show that is ultimately designed to raise funds for the American Cancer Society (or any other cancer-related organization/cause) and cancer awareness in the community. HOW DID THE CONCERT START? The first CFL was in Gurnee, IL in February, 2001. It was organized and put on by the Warren Township High School FBLA program (Future Business Leaders of America) in honor of Kate Pedersen, a student at the time and FBLA officer. Kate had cancer and her fellow students wanted to raise money for the ACS in her honor. At the time, I was a student at Marquette University. Since I went to Warren, and because the FBLA staff knew about my father's story (see: matt's story), they asked me to be the musician at the show. I had put on my first-ever concert in 2000 and some of the staff from Warren were at the show and liked the songs and messages that they heard. So together with the memories of my father and the inspiration of Kate, we had our first CFL in Gurnee in 2001 and have had many others since. Kate lost her battle with cancer in November, 2002. She was able to attend the first two CFLs in Gurnee. Many people remember the progress she made from 2001 to 2002 after seeing all of the support and hope that her community and classmates were giving her. As much as she inspired us, we were also an inspiration for her - a reason to keep fighting. My father's legacy carries on with me wherever I go - whether I'm playing at a CFL or some other show. But Kate's legacy will always stay firmly attached to the Concert For Life series - whether the shows are in Illionis or California. Her legacy will never be forgotten. She inspired a tremendous fundraising idea, one that has raised over $100,000 for the American Cancer Society. WHAT IS THE CONCERT LIKE? I am the main performer at the CFL. I am on stage throughout the entire show and the music being performed is my own. At times, I am accompanied by various singers and musicians. The genre of music is unique. I will play instrumental songs, religious songs and pop/rock songs. I'll go form having just a solo voice to a large ensemble of voices. I'll go from having just a piano to having piano, drums, bass, violin and flute. However, the message of the show never changes. I will always use my music and my banter in between songs to remind people that hope should never be lost. Cancer is something that has affected most people in some way or another. I try to use my music to share the stories of how cancer has affected my life and my songs. Through the music I play, I try to bring the community in attendance together - reminding everyone that life is a precious gift. HOW IS MONEY RAISED? Through a combination of ticket sales (usually priced at five dollars each), raffle prizes, extra donations and CD sales. WHO ORGANIZES THE EVENT? Whoever wants to. The Warren Township High School FBLA Club has organized all of the CFLs in Gurnee, IL. Students and Administrators play the dominant role in putting the show together. The ticket creation and distribution is usually handled by the organization that has decided to put on the show. They are also responsible for approaching businesses in the area about donating prizes for the raffle drawings. Separate committees are usually organized in order to properly disperse of the work load. Some students will deal with ticket sales, some will handle the raffle, and others will organize the concert set-up and take-down. HOW IS THE SHOW PUBLICIZED? In local newspapers, at churches, in schools, on road-side signs... There is no set way to promote the show. The group that is organizing the event should do whatever they feel will work best when it comes to promotion a CFL. WHERE ARE TICKETS SOLD? At any place that can be considered a 'high-traffic area'. This could be a high school, a middle school, a grocery store, a church, etc... Tickets should always be sold at the venue where the show is being held (typically in a church). HOW DO THE RAFFLES WORK? From the minute people arrive at the concert, they have the option to buy raffle tickets and enter to win various raffles (the number of prizes should range from about 12-20). The prizes are then raffled off right before the start of the second half of the concert. HOW LONG IS THE SHOW? Typically, a CFL runs for about two-and-a-half hours (2:30). The first set lasts for about an hour. Intermission ranges from 30-45 minutes. The second half ranges from 45 minutes to an hour. The show can be extended or cutback to meet the needs of the audience. WHERE DOES THE CFL TAKE PLACE? Any place with enough seating and a good sound system. Churches seem to work the best, though, because they fit the occassional religious messages evoked in my music and words, and they usually have a large gathering space to set up tables and allow people to mingle. WHAT HAPPENS AT INTERMISSION? People have the opportunity to get up and stretch, buy raffle tickets, buy CDs, enjoy some free food (donated by a local business) and visit any ACS booths? WHAT IS AN 'ACS BOOTH'? An American Cancer Society booth. A goal of the organization that is setting up the show should be to contact the American Cancer Society and invite some representatives to the concert. They should be provided with a table (or two) in order to set-up some informational pamphlets/diagrams they may have. Concert attendees will be encouraged to visit these tables in order to learn more information about cancer research and prevention methods. WHAT DO I DO IF I THINK MY COMMUNITY SHOULD HAVE A CFL? First, talk it over with some member of your community or an organization that might be willing to organize it (be it a group of students or a church group...). Then, e-mail me and we'll go from there: I'M NOT VERY RELIGIOUS. WOULD I ENJOY A CFL? Yes. I don't preach at the CFLs I play at, nor do I play an abundance of religious music. I do play some. I even read from scripture at times in order to talk about my experiences with cancer. But never do I do or say things that might make people feel uncomfortable. The goal of the concert is to get those in the audience to realize that, in times of adversity, we need to keep our heads up and remain strong - that hope should never be lost - and that those people who have had cancer or who are fighting cancer are some of the most courageous people in the world. HOW MANY PEOPLE COME TO THESE SHOWS? It depends. It could be over 1,000 or it could be under 200. No audience is too big or too small. It all depends on the size of the community and the amount of publicity that is done. I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT CFLs THAT WASN'T ANSWERED. Then just ask me. You can e-mail me here. |
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| September 29, 2005 - Concert For Life Marquette University - Milwaukee, WI The third CFL we've done at Marquette since 2002. Organized beautifully by Katie Postal and Beth Feste. The Weasler Auditorium was a very intimate setting. Over 30 students helped plan this show. TOTAL RAISED: $4,800 SONGS PREMIERED: None Playlist | Journal |
| Past CFLs (and other ACS fundraisers) |
| July 8, 2005 - Matt Wessel Live Bethel Lutheran Church - Gurnee, IL More of a religious-based show. They rented a grand piano for us and transformed their humble gym into an enjoyable concert hall. TOTAL RAISED: $2,500 SONGS PREMIERED: "Glory" Playlist | Journal |
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| May 1, 2005 - Concert For Life St. Joseph's Catholic Church - Libertyville, IL Some Carmel HS students helped organize a CFL in Libertyville. Another huge step forward for the Concert For Life series! TOTAL RAISED: $8,000 SONGS PREMIERED: None Playlist | Journal |
| March 13, 2005 - Concert For Life St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church - Gurnee, IL The 5th Annual CFL. A crowd of over 1,200 people gathered to raise the largest single-show total in the CFL's history. The music had a lot of firsts as well, including a jazz band and string quartet. TOTAL RAISED: $20,500 SONGS PREMIERED: "Bread Of Love", "See Them" Playlist | Journal | Fan Mail | "STTA" | AUDIO: Those Who Dwell |
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| February 22, 2004 - Concert For Life St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church - Gurnee, IL The 4th Annual CFL. The tradition continued as 1,000+ people came out for the Gurnee-based show. The evening was highlighted by the Warren Township High School choir's performance of "Take, Lord". TOTAL RAISED: $16,000 SONGS PREMIERED: "Happy Are We" Playlist | Journal | Fan Mail | AUDIO: Be With Me |
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| February 12, 2004 - Concert For Life Marquette University - Milwaukee, WI We decided to do another CFL at Marquette. I played the first one as a student and this time I played as an employee (in their Public Affairs Department). It was great to see so many friends come out on a Thursday. TOTAL RAISED: $2,000 SONGS PREMIERED: "Falling" Playlist | Journal |
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| March 12, 2006 - Concert For Life St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church - Gurnee, IL The 6th Annual CFL. The crowd was as strong as ever, well over 1,200 strong. Sign language was done during "See Them" and I played many songs from my new CD, "Carry On". This show put CFL totals over $100,000! TOTAL RAISED: $23,700 SONGS PREMIERED: "Thanks For Saying Hi" Playlist | Journal | Pics | Fans | AUDIO: Father, Please |
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| $189,800 raised since 2001 |
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| March 21, 2003 - Concert For Life St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church - Gurnee, IL The 3rd Annual CFL was a huge success as we raised just over $10,000 for the ACS. Numerous songs from "Be With Me" were debuted and three friends of mine joined me in dressing as umpires for "The Baseball Song". TOTAL RAISED: $10,000 SONGS PREMIERED: None Journal |
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| November 21, 2002 - Concert For Life Marquette University - Milwaukee, WI The CFL took its first journey outside of Gurnee as it made its way to Marquette University. A senior at Marquette, I was joined by many of my close friends on stage. While the concert was going on in Milwaukee, the wake for Kate Pedersen, who the original CFL was put on for, was taking place in Gurnee, IL TOTAL RAISED: $1,800 SONGS PREMIERED: "Kate's Song" Journal |
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| February 22, 2002 - Concert For Life St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church - Gurnee, IL After a successful debut, the CFL is back for the second straight year. More people and more money raised were signs that the event was growing. TOTAL RAISED: $8,000 SONGS PREMIERED: "Baseball Song" Journal |
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| February 23, 2001 - Concert For Life St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church - Gurnee, IL A tradition is born. I played a simple show of half instrumentals and half vocals as the Warren FBLA program successfully launches an incredible fundraiser idea - the Concert For Life. TOTAL RAISED: $6,000 SONGS PREMIERED: None |
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| July 21, 2006 - Matt Wessel Live Bethel Lutheran Church - Gurnee, IL The people of Bethel once again welcomed us into their church to play a show for the ACS. Piano, guitar, bass, drums, flute, violin and a four-person choir made this one of our best shows ever. Mostly liturgical music. TOTAL RAISED: $1,300 SONGS PREMIERED: None Playlist | Journal | AUDIO: Live, Jesus, Live | You Are The Voice |
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| October 6, 2006 - Concert For Life St. Anne's Church - Pleasant Prairie, WI What a neat venue this was. St. Anne's has a wonderful worship space and a really great piano / sound system / light set-up. We played two sets of religious songs and introduced a new group of people to the CFL. TOTAL RAISED: $1,000 SONGS PREMIERED: "If We Walk" Playlist | Journal |
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| April 22, 2007 - Concert For Life Weasler Auditorium - Milwaukee, WI Our 4th Annual CFL at Marquette University brought in more money than any previous Marquette show. Over 200 people crowded the Weasler Auditorium. The money raised went towards Marquette's Relay For Life. TOTAL RAISED: $5,000 SONGS PREMIERED: None Playlist | Journal |
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| July 29, 2007 - Concert For Life St. Cecilia Catholic Church - Mount Prospect, IL OMike Keonig helped us debut another CFL in a new city - this time in Mt. Prospect. We raised over $3,000 on a sunny summer afternoon. The money raised went towards Mount Prospect's Relay For Life. TOTAL RAISED: $3,500 SONGS PREMIERED: None Playlist | Journal |
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| March 8, 2008 - Concert For Life Weasler Auditorium - Milwaukee, WI TBD TBD TBD TOTAL RAISED: $2,500 SONGS PREMIERED: None Playlist |
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| April 6, 2008 - Concert For Life St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church - Gurnee, IL TBD TBD TBD TOTAL RAISED: $37,200 SONGS PREMIERED: None Playlist | Journal |
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