Spirits Uplifted in the Concert to Benefit HomeFront

It would be hard to find a wider variety of entertainment than the acts that appeared Saturday night, October 26, on the stage at Princeton Meadow Church in West Windsor.

Whether it was the Sichuan Opera face-changing artist, A Capella singers, a rapper, teenage pop singers, circus-like jugglers or a Guinness World Record-holding acrobat, the show had something for everyone.

But the acts had one thing in common - they were all there to help raise funds for the venerable, Mercer County-based nonprofit HomeFront that helps families in need. Organized by a newcomer on the nonprofit scene - Music Unite –the benefit raised $4,039.92 for HomeFront. Our mission is to help communities through music. It was put together in late 2018 by Catherine Jiang and Amanda Chen, two friends who are high school and middle school students, respectively.

“It was such an amazing evening…full of unforgettable entertainment, heart, and togetherness,’’ said an enthusiastic Chris Marchetti, the Joy, Hopes & Dreams Program Director at HomeFront who MC’d the evening. “It was great to have our youngsters showcasing their talents on the stage alongside many other accomplished performers from the community…and so great to have some of our former participants – now grown-ups – come back and share their talents as well!’’

More than two dozen HomeFront kids joined alumni on the stage for performances that were capped by a rousing rendition of We Are the World, echoing the evening’s theme of togetherness and equality.

“Our kids have never done this before where they were all taking part on the stage,’’ said Connie Mercer, HomeFront founder and CEO, who enjoyed the show from the front row. “They were thrilled.’’ 

“They’re incredibly talented and have beautiful voices,’’ Catherine noted of the HomeFront children immediately after the show. “The kids are so full of energy and so much fun to work and perform with,’’ echoed Amanda.

Other performance highlights included upbeat rap artist Krush Jackson, who was assisted by HomeFront as a young boy; a moving duet of I’ll Find You by HomeFront kids Shakira Poole and Izaiah Young; and a lively juggling and cycling exhibition by HomeFront alumni Maxwell Williams, Bilal Halley and Aliyah Crawford, joined by team member Brandon Coleman. A spirited piano solo by Apollo Lee; an entrancing Sichuan Opera face-changing act by Pong Li, and a dazzling display of blanket spinning acrobatics by Lina Liu, of the Guinness Book of World Records were among other performers. Another favorite of the evening was the A Cappella rendition of Can’t Help Falling in Love by Anvitha Parachuri, Vika Petrov, So Min Lee, Sun Ho Park, and Catherine Jiang. The band, Jazz 4PCA was also a big contributor to the event.

Catherine and Amanda, who are both singers with songs published on YouTube, Spotify, and other platforms - U Get Me for Catherine and Hands Up for Amanda - pledged all the proceeds of those songs to HomeFront during the performance. Fundraising turned out to be just one aspect of the lively benefit show. 

HomeFront’s Chris Marchetti, the special evening’s upbeat MC, observed that the kids were energized and empowered that night, and it carried over into the days to follow.

“There was something in the air that night that we all felt – kids, audience members, performers,’’ Chris said. “It was incredibly uplifting, an experience that brought us all together and that I’m sure most of us will never forget.’’

New memories await in the future, as the organizers say they are planning to make the fundraiser an annual event.

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