Concert ‘MAGIC’ raises $30,000 for Maui fire victims and children in India

Courtesy of Vidur Sanghi

Sophomore Barbara Vasilyeva and senior Ishan Joshi perform at the MAGIC concert on Aug. 27. 

Music and Good in Concert (MAGIC), a non-profit organization founded by senior Vidur Sanghi, held its second school concert in the McAfee Center on Aug. 27. The event was held to raise scholarship funds for youth impacted by the devastating wildfires in Maui. 

With the help of sponsors and donors including Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) and Affinity Solutions, Sanghi’s organization managed to meet its fundraising goal of $30,000, which will fund a few scholarships for kids impacted by Maui wildfires. In the past, funds have gone to several organizations serving different causes including Off the Plate, Heart Care Foundation of India and Best Buddies.

The concert consisted of a series of vocal, instrumental and dance performances, featuring many of the school’s aspiring singers, dancers and musicians — including violinists, cellists, flutists and saxophone players — totalling to 21 acts within the 3-hour show. 

The event drew at least 200 attendees. Several SHS groups performed such as the Saxophone Ensemble, the Brass Ensemble, the Tamasha Group, the Dance Team, the Bhangra Team, along with other performers including vocalist Shirina Cao, guitarist Alec Guan, bassist Mason Cheng and drummer Alex Ge.

Sanghi founded MAGIC in 2020 with the intention of raising money for frontline pandemic workers. Since then, it has expanded to help with a variety of struggles including mitigating the financial burdens of senior citizens, teachers, disadvantaged children, restaurants, individuals impacted by the Ukrainian conflict and adolescents in India who experienced financial strains from paying for medical treatments.

“When the pandemic paralyzed our world, I was heavily impacted by the sudden loss of interactions with friends and family,” Sanghi said. “Using my passion for music, I created MAGIC to remotely collaborate with others during the pandemic, in hopes of spreading good, helping our beneficiaries and creating a sense of purpose and community.”

The concert promoted the organization’s objective of inclusivity and diversity through a vast range of cultural music and dance acts, along with an influx of performers coming from different locations within the area. Around 30% of the performers were from outside SHS.

“Since we’ve mostly had all SHS participants in the past, it really highlights how much we’ve expanded our reach,” Sanghi said.

The officer team working alongside Sanghi includes seniors Taylor Chu, Mohit Gandluru, Shrey Jain, Kabeer Minocha and Kavya Patel as well as junior Diya Iyer. Their main job is to help recruit performers, lead ticketing and set-up backstage. 

The team is also planning to run several more concerts and events this year, including some potential fundraising competitions that companies would be able to participate in.

“I’ve stuck with MAGIC from start to finish, and it’s formed such a large and diverse community while having so much fun,” Sanghi said. “I’m so grateful for all the money we’ve raised for the less fortunate, and I couldn’t be prouder of our progress.”