Dear Saturday Night Bath,
“I want to take this time to thank you for all the hard work you put into teaching our students. Although, I know that our students can be sometimes challenging and the conditions were not ideal, the time was limited and the outcome may not be to your expectations, our students were grateful for this opportunity. The majority of our small school live impoverished and would never get the chance to play an instrument and perform with such talented musicians. It is my hope that this magical and “once in a lifetime” experience will lead to a love of music and the arts.
It this season of giving, we humbly thank you for your hard work and dedication to this wonderful program. May you all be blessed this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving!”
Janette Hernandez
Ramona Elementary School
The Saturday Night Bath Band gave our students a fine arts experience that they will never forget. Thank you for your generosity of time and goodwill, and know that our students will have their lives and futures enriched by your involvement with our school.
Mark Kaliponti,
Principal Somerset High School (Bellflower)
The concert opened a door into the beautiful delight music can offer a community of learners. With learning a basic framework for a few blues, jazz and rock songs, students glimpsed possibilities for their own musicianship.
Stacy Bertuccelli,
Coordinator Melrose Elementary School/MST Magnet (LAUSD/Los Angeles)
The youth appreciated the concert as a way to broaden their minds and appreciate the various types of music presented. Interaction with people from different walks of life is always a growth experience for all. Thank you for your interest in the continued development of the young ladies at Camp Scott.
Robert Welsh,
Coordinator Camp Scott (Saugus)
Your music was great! It’s not something I listen to but I really liked it. It was interesting to listen to something new. The band took the time to give facts and show us some of the instruments. The songs played were “What a Wonderful World” and “My Girl,” there were some others too… When you all were playing it gave good vibes.
Alyssa Alcaraz,
Student Angel’s Gate High School (San Pedro)
The Saturday Night Bath Band came to our campus and played and educated an audience of 300 (students, families, district guests). As always the band members were professional and extraordinarily gifted musicians. In this economy it is difficult to expose our students to a variety of instruments and music, and [this occasion] allowed our students to experience this amazingly important educational opportunity.”
Barbara Politz,
Principal William J. Johnston Community Day School (LAUSD/San Pedro)
Kudos to you and the whole group which make up Saturday Night Bath. The experience which you provide
for your audience will last them a lifetime.
It is so refreshening and heart warming to see activities like yours proceeding when there are so many
forces in our country sewing discord and confusion.
Rock on with a cool jazz breeze,
Chuck Sigmund
Going over 36-years strong, Saturday Night Bath continues to deliver live music to those who need it most, from young, to at- risk youth, to seniors, and the greater community. Formed in 1984 by Howie Rich, the seven-musician ensemble based out of Los Angeles stands committed to writing and performing original and traditional American jazz and blues music. Under this umbrella he leads two different style bands: “Dixieland & Swing,” and “Rock & Roll” for students. The high-energy acoustic dixieland and swing ensemble can also be called for senior citizen centers and festivals.
Joining Howie are musicians Michael Rosen on Harmonicas and vocals, John D. Murphy on Guitars and vocals, Dave Holland on Baritone and Tenor Sax, Flute and vocals, Chris Haller on 7-string Electric “tap” Bass Guitar, Harlan Spector on Keyboards, Markus Brox on Drums, and Dean Roubicek on Tenor and Soprano Sax. On average, SNB gives two-dozen interactive concerts and clinics a year, with a focus on continuation schools and youth detention facilities. To date it has presented 575 interactive concerts at local juvenile halls, elementary, middle and continuation high schools, and probation camps throughout the state, connecting directly with 44,000 young people. Through this outreach, the group is able to provide vital hands-on, interactive, therapeutic music; in recent years we have given preference to pregnant teen sites. Music includes original blues, rock and roll, jazz, and hip hop as well as traditional “old-school” compositions. The ensemble also provides an elementary music education program called “A Quick 100 Years of Music,” that shows the musical progression from the blues, created in the American south during slavery times, up to the present.
L.A. City and County collaborations continue today. In 2021, including “Zoom” events, our audience was over 2,000 predominantly African and Hispanic youths from low-income areas of Los Angeles County. Schools in these areas cannot afford many essentials let alone music and art. In recent years, our emphasis has been on pregnant teen sites. Many schools contact us for entry into the program. Our new-site waiting list is sixteen schools, not counting repeat-sites or detention facility requests.
The LA County Arts Commission became our first sponsor in 1986. Regardless of the effects of music pirating, the Recording Industries Music Performance Trust Fund (NY) and the Musicians Union Local #47 (LA) continue supporting us with co-sponsor allocations covering 35% of our musician’s concert wages. We received 3-year Cal Arts Council (CAC) Multi-Cultural Entry Level grants in 1995, ’98 and 2001, and an Impact grant in 2004; their Exemplary Arts Education Partnership Grant greatly expanded our separate acoustic lecture visits. The City of LA Department of Cultural Affairs began funding in 1991. Current sponsors include the LA County Department of Arts and Culture, the Cities of West Hollywood, Torrance, & Los Angeles, the Music Fund of Los Angeles, the Puffin, Bolton, John D. Porter, and Union Bank Foundations, the CARES Act/LA County COVID-19 Arts Relief Grant, and County Supervisors Hilda Solis, Kathryn Barger, and now Holly Mitchell. We began our 8th consecutive LA County Probation Department Camp series in June.
Saturday Night Bath Brings Good, Clean Fun to At-Risk Youth – Local #47 Overture Magazine 2018
Going over 36-years strong, nonprofit music outreach group Saturday Night Bath continues to deliver music therapy to those who need it most, from at-risk youth to senior citizens and the greater community.
Each year, Saturday Night Bath visits an average of 20 continuation high schools and correctional facilities. To date they have presented nearly 600 interactive concerts at local juvenile halls, elementary, middle and continuation high schools, and probation camps throughout the state, connecting directly with 48,000 young people. Through this outreach SNB is able to provide vital hands-on, therapeutic music, in recent years they have given preference to pregnant teen sites.
Formed in 1984 by Howie Rich, the seven-musician ensemble based out of Los Angeles gives two-dozen interactive concerts and clinics a year, with a focus on continuation schools and youth detention facilities. Led by Rich, who also performs bass, SNB comprises concert and recording musicians Michael Rosen on harmonica, Chris Ross on percussion, Markus Brox on drums, Dave Holland on baritone and tenor sax, John Murphy on guitars, Harlan Spector on keyboards, and Dean Roubicek is on tenor and soprano sax.
The group’s educational, interactive approach reflects a profound concern for young people facing massive challenges in their lives. Their first objective is to introduce and promote a better understanding of the living history and evolution of popular jazz and blues art forms. The second, even more important, objective is to motivate these at-risk students by participating in an up-close concert experience, to pursue further study of traditional or modern music, to play instruments, and to sing and write lyrics. SNB aims to intrigue these students with accessible musical styles and songs, raise interest in other scholastic and art endeavors, and expand their musical knowledge by talking directly to practicing musicians. “We provide an inspiration to pursue music and a reason not to drop out of school,” Mr. Rich says.
The All Points North Foundation in Boston recently awarded SNB a significant grant that will be used to fund visits starting in January 2018 to three Los Angeles middle schools for one month “mini-residencies,” culminating with student concerts at the end of each month.
When asked about Saturday Night Bath’s unique name, Mr. Rich explains that it refers to a time 100 years ago when many country folks had no indoor plumbing, and even many city dwellers lacked hot water heaters. So families had to boil water to take baths on Saturday night in order to be fresh for church on Sunday morning. Similarly, the group provides a fresh insight into music for today’s youth. “We play for kids who have never seen a live band up-close and personal once a week, or ever,”.
The LA County Arts Commission became our first sponsor in 1986. The Recording Industries Music Performance Trust Fund (NY) and the Musicians Union Local #47 (LA) continue supporting us with co-sponsor allocations covering 35% of our musician’s concert wages. We received 3-year Cal Arts Council (r CAC) Multi-Cultural Entry Level grants in 1995, ’98 and 2001, an Impact grant in 2004, and The Exemplary Arts Education Partnership. In 2022 we received Impact and Arts Exposure grants; the latter has us going to 5-schools teaching Blues on donated instruments for 4-weeks followed by an inclusive concert. The City of LA Department of Cultural Affairs began funding in 1991. Current sponsors include the National Endowment for The Arts, The LA County Department of Arts and Culture, the Cities of West Hollywood & Los Angeles, the Pasadena Showcase House, the CA Arts Council, and LA County Supervisors Hilda Solis, Kathryn Barger, and Holly Mitchell. We completed our 8th consecutive LA County Probation Department Camp series last October and have visited two more this past summer.