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

