MUSICARES FOUNDATION, INC.

Kathleen Ann Okvath, 66, of Colorado Springs passed away on February 18th, 2022.

 

She was born in Evanston, Illinois on February 8th, 1956 to George and Joanne Krueger. Kathleen was a passionate pianist who enjoyed composing. As a young musician, she was awarded the Bach Special Medal by the National Guild of Piano Teachers. She performed for several years at the Iron Spring’s Chateau Dinner Theatre in Manitou Springs where she enjoyed putting on a great show along with other actors and artisans, many of whom were her dear friends. She had a wicked sense of humor and an unending thirst for learning. 

Kathleen is survived by her mother, Joanne, as well as her sisters Betsy, Krista, and Becky. Her sisters and her family will miss her beautiful, kind heart.

She also leaves behind her children: Julia Okvath, Ed Okvath, and Joanne Bacharach. We love you mom.

 

The details for services and a memorial reception for Kathleen are as follows:
Venue: Chapel of Memories
Address: 829 S Hancock Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Date of Services: Friday, February 25th
Time of Service: 1:30pm
Time of Reception: 2:30pm

Parking at the Chapel is available in the rear of the establishment. Appetizers and non-alcoholic drinks will be served during the reception.

 

An A Cappella Fundraiser in benefit of MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

It's Varsity Vocals  Finals Weekend, and our ICCA and ICHSA Finalists should be gathering in New York City to compete for The Gooding Cup. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic forced our 2020 season to an abrupt close, and our 10,000 competitors this year have dispersed to their homes to #stopthespread.

But in the face of so much uncertainty, and despite our social distance, we in the a cappella community can still do what we do best: bring people together and lift spirits through the power of the human voice.

Presenting: The Varsity Vocals Collective .

We're virtually gathering 24 years of Varsity Vocals a cappella performers to social distan-sing their hearts out and raise money for Recording Academy MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, providing grants to musicians who have been adversely impacted by the pandemic.

All current and former Varsity Vocals competitors -- that's ICCA, ICHSA, and The Open, 1996-2020 -- are invited to participate. We'll be creating a virtual a cappella choir video to share on social media and raise funds for MusiCares.

SINGERS: Follow instructions here  to access an amazing arrangement of "The Bones" by Maren Morris, courtesy of the incomparable Grammy Award-winning Ben Bram and Shams Ahmed. Learn your part, record your performance, and upload to join us. Submissions due April 24 at 10 pm EST.

A CAPPELLA FANS: You can help too! Please consider making a contribution today to kick us off -- and we're counting on you to help spread the word, now and when the video rolls out, using #vvcollective.

The Varsity Vocals Collective "The Bones" in benefit of MusiCares drops in early May.

We may be apart, but we can raise our voices together.

#vvcollective #musicares

More than a year has passed since we lost Chris Cornell. Although no amount of time will ever allow me to fully grasp this loss, I've spent the past year reflecting on how much his music inspired and encouraged so many people. It brings me great comfort to know that his spirit lives on forever, through his music, fans, family & friends.  

In honor of Chris and continuing his legacy, Angela and I covered his song, “Sunshower.” The lyrics and melody embody the incredible emotion and openness that meant so much to his fans. He encouraged all of those around him with so much love, hope, and support.

We're releasing a video today, along with a GoFundMe campaign, in order to raise funds for MusiCares. MusiCares is a wonderful organization that helps musicians with physical and mental health care when they need it most. They've even helped many personal friends of mine over the years. I'm a strong believer in the work they do.

All donations made to our GoFundMe campaign will go directly to MusiCares. Together, we can make a difference. Please share this link to help spread the word, and thank you so much for your support!

Loud Love,
Bryan