Thank You Josh Groban and Find Your Light Foundation
During what could quite possibly be the worst years of one's life, when your enemies are your friends, your friends are your family, and your family is your enemy, Josh Groban endured adolescence a la the Urban Dictionary definition. He wasn't exactly slushied when slouching down the middle school corridors, nor was he slammed into lockers, however...he wasn't an official member of the 'in-crowd,' either. When most teenagers were hanging out and playing Super Mario, Josh was more interested in reading scripts and starting a comedy club. "Growing up I had few friends and my report card was, let's say, unremarkable. One way to diffuse the peer group taunts was to become the class clown. Full-disclosure, I was weird." But, a choir teacher saw something in the eccentric boy in the back row and moved Josh up to the front. His parents were also instrumental in nurturing his inclination towards performing arts by enrolling him into the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and sent him to Interlochen Center for the Arts Camp in Michigan. Surrounded by like-minded classmates and bunkmates, he ultimately developed friendships. His grades improved significantly, too. Reminiscing, Josh gratefully admits, "I was just plain lucky!" He knows first hand how exposure to the arts changes lives. It changed his. Because of his own experience, Josh is adamant about giving back through his Find Your Light Foundation, an organization he founded to help enrich the lives of young people through arts, education and cultural awareness. His involvement and belief that the arts in children's and young adult's lives help shape and change them for the better, plus the sobering reality that these are the exact programs that are being cut from our schools and society at a drastic rate, make him more attuned than ever to the need for this focus. He dreams that Find Your Light will cover a wide array of possibilities, from providing instruments and funding for arts programs in schools, to introducing people to the arts and culture around them and even around the world through the use of technology. While Josh considers himself lucky, we also felt pretty fortunate. Last July on his 2011 Straight To You World Tour, his Find Your Light Foundation supported Musicopia's efforts in the form of a generous donation, for which we are extremely grateful. We're proud that he recognized the work we are doing in the community. As a special treat, he also invited us to his concert at the Wells Fargo Center, including a pre-performance meet and greet with members of the Musicopia String Orchestra. He shared his life story with us, answered questions, and posed for pictures. During a recent conversation, Josh said, "You can look at stats all day, but it really isn't until you meet the kids that you understand how just a little bit of encouragement can go a long, long way. Almost every time I get to talk with the children, they sing me a song or give me a picture they made. They motivate me to keep on going and keep on giving." At the end of our discussion with Josh, he said, "Thank you for doing what you do." Well, Josh, THANK YOU for seeing the possibilities in us!!! |
Thank you, Josh Groban!
|
We love you Josh! To learn more about Josh's Foundation, please visit |