PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
We have all experienced cancer in one way or another. Some of us have close family or friends who have dealt with cancer. Some have only experienced cancer in movies, books, or even comedy. Whatever our experience has been, very few of us are prepared to receive a cancer diagnosis ourselves.
In September 2016 I had just begun my freshman year of college. I was trying to adjust to a new life away from home, but I was hindered by abdominal pains that kept me from fully enjoying my friends, my classes, and my newfound independence. Suddenly, the pain grew too intense to withstand. One of my friends rushed me to the hospital, and after hours of intense testing I was forced to confront those dreaded words from the doctor: “You have cancer.” There was a strange moment of peace, like the world had stopped, and I was floating above it. However, as I began to piece together what this diagnosis meant - dropping out of school, chemotherapy, the very real possibility of death – this dreamscape began disintegrating into chaos.
Although my experience in chemotherapy was extremely difficult both physically and emotionally, it was also a definitive period in my life when I began to understand the healing power of music. I was not a serious musician before my diagnosis, but I felt an urge to bring my keyboard into the hospital room. Every time my emotions would get too intense to handle, too confusing to comprehend, I would gather up my energy, get out of bed and play my heart out. I made it a goal to listen to an album every day during my long walks around the oncology ward. Some friends even organized a jam session around the hospital piano, giving me the ability to have some fun expressing myself, despite my grim situation.
Music lifted me in my darkest hour, and it has been the catalyst behind my fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Thanks to your help, we have been able to pack the house at the past two concerts, and raise over $30,000 for the LLS. Yet, our campaign to help end cancer is just getting started. Concert for a Cure promises to be another special night, now located at the legendary Yoshi’s Oakland, and featuring the revered saxophonist Dayna Stephens.
Please join us on July 2nd to KICK CANCER’S ASS!
Love,
- Ethan
