Buskers will be hitting Aotea Square on October 21 adding some entertainment to city-goers' lunch hour as part of the charity StarJam's new campaign, Money for Jam.
It will be a fun filled hour, where the public gets a chance to make the most of the newly refurbished Aotea Square while soaking up the festive atmosphere.
Well known Kiwi musicians, Ray Woolf and Ben Lummis, will be there on the day to encourage the buskers, as will NZ Idol host Dominic Bowden. Also making appearances will be American actor Joe Mantegna (agent David Rossi on Criminal Minds and the voice of Fat Tony in The Simpsons).
Local teams have been rehearsing their busking skills over the past month for the Money for Jam campaign. Many have uploaded videos of their musical skills to the website, giving the public a taste of what is in store.
Participants are in to win prizes including return tickets for two to Los Angeles and a visit to the set of TV show, Criminal Minds.
Julie Bartlett, chief executive and founder of StarJam, is thrilled about the level of talent getting involved in the campaign and showing their support for StarJam.
"I'm really proud of how the wider community is pulling together to help support the StarJam kids," says Bartlett. "It's shaping to be a unique and exciting afternoon."
Money for Jam is StarJam's first major fundraising campaign, which encourages people to get on the streets and busk to help the charity provide more performance places for more children with disabilities in more New Zealand regions.
Auckland- based StarJam creates national and international performance and limelight opportunities for young people with disabilities. Known as "Jammers", StarJam kids gain respect, confidence, empowerment, new friends, new hope and new purpose within a fun and inclusive atmosphere.
Some of the buskers confirmed include:
The Foxy Stars are a collection of lawyers and staff at Queen St firm DLA Phillips Fox
The Singstarz who will find out what a pedal steel and a didgeridoo sound like together
Lew & Eddy are Matteus Rocca and Campbell MacKenzie from the Lewis Eady Rock School
Meadowbank Buskers from the Meadowbank School ukelele group and rock band
Ponsonby Pipers are sisters Gabriella, 7, and Valentina, 10
The Balzats are a family of nine from Auckland playing a variety of acoustic instrumentals
3/63 are Rees and Kevin who have been flatmates for six months
The Six Strong Love Harmony are Misty-Dawn and Billy-Ray from The Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre
Gypsologie are gypsy jazz duo guitarist Max Polaczuk and saxophonist Oscar Laven
Danny & The No-Copers are lead singer Danny Cope as Elvis Presley, with his backing band busking with Suspicious Minds.
For more info and a full line-up of the busking teams, see: www.money4jam.org. For more info on StarJam, visit: www.starjam.org.
Jam sandwiched into a square meal
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