Hello everyone,

Hope you are all well! The Toronto fundraiser on July 16th to raise money for the Sick Kids and Children’s Aid Foundations was a big hit, and we will be doing it again next year! You can now see some video on www.PrestonsBeat.com, and in a few weeks the highlight film will be available. Thanks again to all my friends for taking part of this magical evening! There are also a few other events currently being planned, including –

Dec. 19, 2009 – Preston and Friends Christmas Benefit, NYC. Details TBA

Feb. 2010 – Preston and Friends Austin Children’s Benefit, Austin, TX. Details TBA

April, 2010 – Preston and Friends 2010 Benefit for The Sick Kids and Children’s Aid Foundation. Details TBA

Other News. “It’s About Time” has advanced to the semi-final round of the 2009 ASA Songwriting Competition! Keeping my fingers crossed. Also, my friend May Pang is taking part in a fundraiser on Saturday, August 1, to raise money for a wheel chair for Dara Roberts, a 19 year old girl with cerebral palsey who is attending her first semester this fall at Stanford University. As most of you know, May as wonderful photo memoir of John Lennon titled “Instamatic Karma”; what you may not know is that is also a wonderful jewelry designer and her work will be featured as well. The event will have other artist and performers as well a silent auction. It all takes place at S.R. Riley’s Music Café, 101 East Commerce Street, Bridgeton, NJ from 11 to 4. I will be there and hope you can too. You can see more of May on her website, www.MayPang.com.

Finally, let me tell you about my friend Kevin So. Back in June I was up in Toronto at my dear friend Noah Zacharin’s show when we had a visit from a featured performer at Toronto’s North by Northeast Festival. Noah, my other dear friend Jon Travis and I spent the next couple of hours with Kevin and we had an awesome evening. Kevin is an incredibly gifted performer (as are Noah and Jon) – a really great blues artist. Kevin is playing a show next Wednesday in NYC at the Bitter End at 8:00. I’ll be there and hope you can be there to. You want to catch him. I give him a very high recommendation. You can see a clip of Kevin performing his bluesy tune “All I Need is You“. And you can visit Kevin on the web at www.KevinSo.com.

That’s all for now. Rock on!

Mark

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Mark Nelson Preston and Friends 2010 Benefit for the Sick Kids Foundation and the Children’s Aid Foundation. We will be returning for another magical evening like the one we had on July 16th 2009. Guests to be announced.

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Tags: benefit, canada, charity, Children's Aid Foundation, concert, ontario, Sick Kids Foundation, toronto

Hello everyone,

We have a little over a week to go for the two fundraisers in Ontario and here is the update:

As previously announced, I’ve gathered some of the best music talent from New York, Toronto, and London (ON) for two concerts benefiting children’s charities. The Toronto show, which will benefit The Sick Kids Foundation and the Children’s Aid Foundation, will take place at the very cool Gladstone Ballroom on Thursday, July 16. The show starts at 7:30 P.M., and we are having a “Meet and Greet” wine and finger food party at The Gladstone’s Art Bar from 6:30 to 7:30 P.M. that will having a silent auction featuring the following very cool items: A rare early pressing of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dave Mason’s classic solo debut “Alone Together” signed by Dave, copies of May Pang’s photo memoir of her life with John Lennon “Instamatic Karma” which will be personally autographed by May; tickets for the August Pearl Jam concert, and a week’s vacation on Florida’s Emerald Coast at the world renowned Sandestin Resort.

Some of the great talent you will see and hear: Noah Zacharin, Dan McLean Jr., Jon Travis, Laura Fernandez, Evan Palazzo, Tony Rabalao, Jeff Kahl, Rex Baunsit, Carl Lorusso Jr., Greg Bie, Mark Cassidy, Rehan Delal, Jory Berger, Mark Cassidy, Jeff Greenway, Myke Mazzei, and Steve York. Cost: The VIP package, which includes the Art Bar party and admission to the show is $40. Admission to the show only is $10. Admission is paid at the door. More event details available at – www.gladstonehotel.com or the official event website – www.PrestonForKids.com.

The London show, which benefits the Children’s Health Foundation, takes place the following night on July 17th at 8 P.M. at the spacious London City Music Theatre, and in addition to the Toronto talent,
we will also feature great London talents the Crystal Kage and Bill Savage. Tickets are available online by visiting www.londoncitymusictheatre.com or by clicking the link at www.PrestonForKids.com. We’ve gathered a lot of local attention and the plan is do these events in other cities in the future. So far, we are looking at doing one in Austin, Texas sometime next winter.

Also, for those of you who don’t know, my official site, www.PrestonsBeat.com, is now up and running. You can hear some of the demo sessions for my upcoming CD – “Time and Chances” – under the music tab. There are currently demo versions of six of my songs, as well as my arrangement of “Over The Rainbow”. There will be another two tracks posted by the end of the week. Once the upcoming events are finished, I will be back in the studio to make more complete versions of what you hear, and I’m looking at a release in September or October.

That’s all for now!

Peace and Love,
Mark

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