With music from members of both the Brookline and Dorchester communities, Intellijam, the Brookline Literacy Partnership’s (BLP) annual fundraiser, built a bridge book by book.
The event, held on March 23 in the Roberts-Dubbs Auditorium, funded tutoring, classroom development and library programs at the Mather Elementary School in Dorchester.
Intellijam brought together an eclectic mass of musicians including the student band Big Words and a chorus of students from the Mather Elementary School.
Senior Ben Hoff, the director of the BLP, said that Intellijam is the club’s main source of fundraising. Every year, it aims to raise $15,000 through business advertisements in the concert program. Last year, the club raised more than expected, and this year hopes to exceed its goals again.
“Without the Intellijam, we couldn’t do what we do,” Hoff said. “We see our impact not just as giving books but as a true partner, and a lot of that has to do with how we interact with the teachers and students at the Mather School.”
Senior Lindsay Pearlstein also said that Intellijam’s goals go beyond raising money.
“Even though the goal of Intellijam is to raise as much money as possible, it is more so to have an all-around fun day, bringing the communities together and building literacy skills for the members within our partnership,” Pearlstein said.
The bond between the Brookline and Dorchester communities was evident when Zili Misik, an all-female world music group based in Boston, took the stage, joined by students from the Mather School who shook maracas and tambourines alongside the band members.
According to junior Micah Katz-Zeiger, a member of both the BLP and Big Words, the event is made more worthwhile than the average concert by its promotion of social uplift.
“When you go to a regular concert, everyone is happy to be hearing great music, but when you can hear great music and also know that you are helping such an important cause there’s just something even better about that,” he said.
Junior Paola Pevzner described the concert as professional, lively and energetic.
“We have a couple of speeches in between the bands to talk about our cause, but at the end of the night, we end it off with the BLP band singing a really great, hopeful song.”
The band this year sang “You Can Get It If You Really Want It” by Jimmy Cliff.
Hoff said that seeing the bond between the Brookline and Dorchester communities was a special experience, especially since he is a graduating senior and the only member of BLP who has attended Intellijam for all of the four years he has been at the school.
“I love standing on the stage and looking at the audience,” Hoff said. “Because for a group who works with such a diverse group of people, it’s rare to see everyone at once.”
Sophie Rubin can be contacted at [email protected].
