Fall Registration Open for Plugged In

The Needham-based youth band program will be open for fall registration on Monday, Sept. 5.

New students ages 9-19 can set up a meeting with the directors between Sept. 5 and 16, after which they will be placed in a band class of four to six students and a teacher. Bands rehearse once a week for 13 weeks and perform in a benefit concert at the end of the session.

Plugged In “gives kids a community of young musicians to belong to,” said co-founder and co-director Sandra Rizkallah. “It’s a very supportive and nurturing environment.”

Rizkallah also highlighted the opportunity for young people to fundraise for a charitable organization. In 2006, Plugged In raised enough money to send a student from Zimbabwe to a university for four years. Plugged In participants not only raise money, she noted, but also raise confidence in themselves.

“The focus is not on stardom or competition or who’s the better band. The focus is on compassion,” Rizkallah said. “People can feel safe taking risks and growing as musicians. It’s a place to have fun without a lot of stress.”

The 13-week fall session will begin on Sept. 24. The cost for the session is $600, which can be paid in installments. A scholarship fund is also available. To set up a meeting, call 781-956-4281 or e-mail srizkallah@comcast.net.