APRIL 4 • 2024 | 25
J
N

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FS will have a presence
at a local benefit con-
cert to raise money for
young musicians and raise
awareness about suicide and
suicide prevention.
The benefit concert takes
place Sunday, April 14, at the
First Presbyterian Church in
Royal Oak. The concert event
starts at 3 p.m.
The event is being orga-
nized by Mary Robertson
to benefit the Berkley
Instrumental Boosters in her
late daughter Alyssa’s memo-
ry. Alyssa died from suicide
in 2022.
Robertson, a former music
teacher, taught Kindermusik
in Berkley-Huntington
Woods-Pleasant Ridge recre-
ation programs. Her daugh-
ter, Alyssa, grew up going to
Berkley schools and graduat-
ed from Berkley High School
in 2018.
“Alyssa was a beautiful,
wonderful girl, and music was
her absolute joy,” Robertson
said about her daughter,
whose birthday is the day
after the event, April 15. “And
through Berkley schools, she
had fantastic music instruc-
tion and encouragement.”
Alyssa played in the march-
ing band all four years in
high school and played in the
symphonic band. She had the
good fortune of having great
instructors, such as Alan
Posner, Alyssa’s band director
in high school.
Outside school,she played
in the Michigan Youth

Symphony and found a
wonderful private teacher
through Posner. Those expe-
riences encouraged her to
do things like perform at the
Solo & Ensemble Festival, go
to summer music camp and
upgrade her instrument.
“She was lucky enough to
be able to do those things,
but not all kids are able to do
the same,” Robertson pointed
out.
That’s the first hope for
this event, which has a three-
pronged goal, Robertson says.
The first goal is to help
raise money to help young
musicians. Event admission
is free, but freewill offerings
and donations to Berkley
Instrumental Boosters will be
accepted.
The second
goal — with
Alyssa in mind —
is to raise aware-
ness about suicide
and suicide pre-
vention. Mayim

Meyers, suicide prevention
coordinator at Jewish Family
Service, will be on hand man-
ning a table with information
and resources and will be
available to talk to people
before and after the concert.
“I think it’s so hard to be a
young person right now; the
pressures are great. I think
suicide is the second leading
cause of death among young
people. But it doesn’t have to
be. There’s help available and
we just need kids to know
that,” Robertson said.
Robertson says Meyers
could not have been more
receptive and was very happy
to participate.
“I’m thrilled because I’m
not an expert, I’m just a fam-
ily member who has been
obviously deeply touched
by suicide, and I think it’s
the perfect way to help raise
awareness and educate about
suicide and suicide preven-
tion.”
Meyers will have resources

on hand at her table and will
be able to answer questions,
provide support, give refer-
rals and more. Meyers is
“honored” to be a part of the
event.
“I think there’s a very real
need for support, when peo-
ple think of those they’ve lost,
and also their own individual
struggles and people in their
circles who are struggling.
My hope is my presence will
provide support for those
people,” she said. “The more
we can talk about it, the
more we can raise awareness,
hopefully the earlier we can
intervene.”
The third goal of the
concert is to honor Alyssa’s
memory through her love of
music.
The concert will be a
variety show with over 15
different acts including sing-
ers, guitarists and keyboard
artists. Some classical music
will be featured. The current
band director at Berkley High
School will be there with a
group of current and former
students to play in a jazz
combo. Former members of
the Detroit Opera Chorus
will be performing.
“It’s going to be a great
variety of terrific entertain-
ment,” Robertson said.
Checks can be made out
to the Berkley Instrumental
Boosters with “benefit con-
cert” on the memo line.
Reach out to Mary Roberston
for further questions at:
mer1954@aol.com.

Mary Robertson and her daughter, Alyssa.

The benefit concert will raise money for young musicians and
raise awareness about suicide and suicide prevention.
Raise Money, Raise Awareness

Mayim
Meyers

DANNY SCHWARTZ SENIOR STAFF REPORTER