Swan Songs Serenade Benefit and Gala Returns For its 13th Year This October

Swan Songs has announced their 13th annual Swan Songs Serenade, which will return Oct. 29 at Four Seasons Hotel Austin (98 SAN JACINTO Blvd, Austin, TX 78701), from 6 - 10 p.m. The Swan Songs Serenade is the nonprofit's yearly benefit and outreach event where donors, supporters and the community gather for one magical night of music and remembrance. This year, the event will feature a cocktail reception, seated dinner, silent and live auctions and a live performance by Jackie Venson. The event will be hosted by beloved journalist and broadcaster Judy Maggio. Individual tickets are $200 and will be available to purchase Sept. 1. Additional ticketing information, table pricing and sponsorship opportunities for the 2023 Swan Songs Serenade will be announced on Swan Songs website www.swansongs.org in the coming weeks.

 

“Jackie 'gets' what Swan Songs is all about and has always been supportive of our mission,” said Christine Albert, Swan Songs Founder & CEO. “Growing up here in Austin, and as the daughter of a musician, she understands the power of music to transform and the importance of supporting our local music community. I can feel it in my bones - this will be one of the most exciting and electrifying Serenades!” 

 

Event Chairs for this year's Serenade are Swan Songs Secretary of the Board Liz Land and longtime Swan Songs supporter Mafalda Tan. Current sponsors include HEB and Austin Geriatric Specialists. Sponsorship opportunities for the event are still available - to inquire about a sponsorship, please contact info@swansongs.org.

 

“It's an honor to be chairing this year's Serenade,” said 2023 Swan Songs Serenade Co-chairs Liz Land and Mafalda Tan. “We view it as a wonderful opportunity to raise funds in support of an organization that is dear to us and to introduce more people in our personal circles to this important work. We can't wait to gather to tell Swan Songs' story to an ever-expanding audience, and be serenaded by the amazing Jackie Venson.”

 

Earlier this year, Swan Songs announced a $50,000 matching gift from Tito's Handmade Vodka in support of the nonprofit's National Expansion Initiative, intended to build community and spread the Swan Songs mission. Swan Songs will receive the funds over the course of two years as they develop the national model. By the end of 2023, after undergoing a rigorous approval process, a limited number of communities will be invited to establish a Swan Songs Affiliate, a separate legal 501(c)(3) entity that aligns with Swan Songs' principles and vision. By empowering others to create the structure around the mission and take ownership of its success, each Swan Songs location can be a community effort, infused with the unique culture and characteristics of the region.

 

Swan Songs was officially established in 2005 as an Austin, Texas-based 501(c)(3) organization, although the concept was born in the early '90s when Austin musician Christine Albert (Swan Songs Founder & CEO) was asked to sing for a dying fan. The idea to bring music directly to someone facing the end of life resonated with Austin psychotherapist Gaea Logan (Swan Songs co-founder), and the two women began informally organizing the bedside concerts. The organization is committed to utilizing professional musicians whose expertise and experience are central to the success of the program. They recognize the importance of compensating these artists, therefore a nonprofit was created to raise the necessary funds to offer an honorarium, with no financial obligation on the part of the recipient, their family or the healthcare facility. The name Swan Songs was chosen, inspired in part by John Swann – the terminally ill man Christine first sang for in 1992.  

 

Swan Songs has worked with dozens of regional hospices and care facilities and compensated over 800 musicians through the years. As the program evolved, it became apparent that there was a more compelling desire to request a certain style of music than a specific artist, although some regional artists have been requested by name (Guy Forsyth, Eliza Gilkyson, Ruthie Foster, Jimmy LaFave, Bob Schneider, Ray Benson, Carolyn Wonderland, Marcia Ball, The Flatlanders and more). 

 

Swan Songs works diligently to match the style of music requested with the appropriate musician(s). The variety of requests over the years reflects how deep an individual's connection with music can be – based on a lifetime of memories, culture, heritage and geography. Whatever connects the recipient to those memories, their family, their joy – that is what Swan Songs brings. For more information on Swan Songs, visit www.swansongs.org. 

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