Our featured event: Music From the Heart: A Benefit For Educator and Musician Phil Verrill |
 On Sunday, March 12th, 2000 the concert: Music from the Heart was given at the Church of the Nazarene, South Portland, Maine, for the benefit of musician/educator Phil Verrill and his family. In November 1999 Phil had to meet head-on a life-threatening stroke and all the challenges and costs that attend that predicament. By March 2000 he was well along the path of what has proven to be a remarkable and continuing recovery. |
 Music from the Heart, was primarily
conceived and organized by pianist and Phil’s bandmate Tom Snow, and was made
possible by generous donations–of time, talent and resources– |
 In Phil’s three decade career as a musician and
educator he has worked with a wide range of people from rank beginners to jazz legends
including Dizzy Gillespie, Howard Roberts, Lenny Breau, Roswell Rudd and Don Doane. One
cannot travel this distance without vast amounts of patience, talent, hard work, high
standards of artistic excellence and a commitment of service to others. In professional
circles Those of us who were associated with this event wish you hours of enjoyment as you listen to some of the musical contributions given in honor of our friend. Phil’s work is his love, and that love-made-visible is perhaps the finest Music from the Heart. –Gil Donatelli
Note: Watch for the upcoming release of Music From The Heart:
A Concert to Benefit Educator and Musician Phil Verrill |
Featured Event Archives
Thomas Snow Trio Live at Deetrees Theater Thomas Snow Trio at the Starbird Music Recital Hall Music From the Heart: A Concert to
Benefit Musician and Educator Phil Verrill |
from many
distinguished music colleagues, students, and friends which is gratefully acknowledged
here. This gift of love, Music from the Heart, not only demonstrates the real spirit of
community in action, but also illustrates how the intangible effects of an
individual’s motives, values and life work can be made tangible in the lives of
others. For example, Phil’s lifelong love for and guidance of young musicians was
clearly evidenced in Sunday’s enthralling opening number by the students of his
Southern Maine Youth Percussion Ensemble, 1999 WGI World Champions. The members of the
subsequent ensembles–a who’s-who of New England musicians who have worked with
Phil over the years–shared anecdotes with the audience of their friend and delivered
inspired performances without exception.
it is quietly understood that the “gigs” will not be offered if a
musician is not ready or if he/she is difficult to work with. To his credit, and not
without some dedication and self-sacrifice, Phil Verrill is known as a magnanimous person
and a consummate musician very much in demand.