The entire Anacapa School student body along with its faculty will be raising their voices in a “Song of Love” for a teenager they will probably never meet.
On Dec. 9 between 7:50 and 8:30 a.m., students and teachers at the independent school are lending their time and vocal talents to help singer-songwriter and Anacapa dad Lanny Sherwin create a personalized song for young Aaron of St. Louis.
Aaron has been diagnosed with a serious illness, and that’s where the Songs of Love Foundation steps in. Parents of very sick children can request a custom song for their child from volunteers involved with the foundation.
“Songs of Love chooses from one of its roster of volunteer songwriters to write and record a song within about three weeks,” said Sherwin, father of Alec, a sophomore. “We’re given a profile of each child — favorite TV shows, bands, pets’ names, relatives’ names — and then we come up with a song that we think celebrates that specific child and his or her family.”
Sherwin runs Sandman Records, a children’s record label. He is often asked to write for very young children and he normally keeps song content and rhythm easygoing and fun. But 16-year-old Aaron requested a country song, so Anacapa will put on a Nashville vibe to sing the choruses.
Sherwin and his volunteer engineer Pablo Manzarek will transform Anacapa’s morning “Breakfast Club” assembly into a recording studio and Anacapa’s Glee Club will lead the school in harmony.
“Even though the audience for each of these Songs of Love is very small, the impact on each child and his family and caregivers is huge,” said Salli Eve, Anacapa School’s performing arts teacher. “That’s what volunteerism is all about — making a difference one person at a time.”
Anacapa hosts dozens of expert guest presenters each year. Prospective parents who are interested in Anacapa School for their students are welcome to attend this free event to see a Breakfast Club in action.
The Songs of Love Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing personalized songs free of charge for children and teens currently facing medical, physical or emotional challenges.
Anacapa School is an independent, co-educational, WASC-accredited, college preparatory day school for students in grades 7-12. Founded in 1981, Anacapa offers rigorous academics, unparalleled civic involvement, arts and humanities at its historic campus located in the heart of the Santa Barbara civic center.