Ladies Must Swing

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John Adams

Ladies Must Swing

media release: A BIG BAND IN TUNE

Our story is about inspiration and encouragement given by lovers of good music and finding out what entertains and makes them happy. Over 27 years ago, LMS became Ladies Must Swing which came from Linda Marty Schmitz, President of the Madison Jazz Society, which also gave us our very first performance opportunity!

The presence of women playing jazz has gotten a lot of attention over the last decade and we are grateful for that. We intend to keep the musical momentum going and invite you to come see us, hear us, dance to us, celebrate with us, and re-live history!

The Summer Concert Series was started by one of the four senior coalitions that merged to become NewBridge Madison. In 1993, the North/Eastside Senior Coalition (NESCO) initiated the Summer Concert Series at Warner Park in order to bring people together and provide older adults in the area with free, high-quality summer entertainment. The trial run was a success.

These concerts not only brought out older adults who were members of the coalition but also many individuals and families from the community. Concert attendance has increased from 650 (total for all six concerts) in the initial year to over 2,500 the past year few years. Now the concerts attract not only older adults but also younger adults with disabilities as well as families with young children.

Hundreds of older adults and families have come to love these concerts each year. It has become a fabric of the local community. “The summer concert series is our (NewBridge) opportunity to give back to our community,” said Deenah Givens, Program Coordinator. “It’s such a joy to see people dancing and having a good time!  And, so fun to see older adults enjoying who wouldn’t normally be able to attend an event like this.”