Benefit concert planned for Valley musician

April 15, 2005

CASEY RESSLER/Valley Life editor

Local musicians are pulling together to help one of their own.

On April 29, a community concert is being held to help raise money for Janet Stotts, a longtime Valley resident who has devoted her life to helping others in the music world. Last year, Stotts was diagnosed with cancer, and is currently undergoing treatment.

Once work started to organize the concert, the music community responded, said organizer Ana Hartman.

"Up until two weeks ago, we had four performers scheduled," Hartman said. "Now we are up to 14 and are wondering how we are going to schedule it all."

The concert is April 29 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

Hartman said each of the 14 acts will play for 10 minutes, to make sure everyone has time to perform.

"It started out as a small circle of Janet's friends, and it has just grown and grown," Hartman said. "We even have the Russian American Colony Singers coming, who have a guest conductor from Magadan."

There is no charge for the concert - tickets are available on a donation basis. Hartman said she is hoping to raise $10,000 for Stotts' treatment.

"That's our goal. We were going to sell tickets, but we figured people will give what they can give. It's a donation of love," Hartman said.

"Janet has really given a lot, and so we are hoping to give her a lot back," she said.

Hartman also said that Thrivent, a Lutheran-based organization, may match money raised.

Stotts has directed the Alaska Children's Choir for many years, and she has also served as the director for Cantora Arctica, a Valley women's choral group. Stotts has also been the musical director for several Valley Performing Arts productions.

For more information about the concert, or for information on how to donate, interested people may call Hartman at Matanuska Music at 376-4006 or Joyce Lund at 373-0842.