ANDOVER – Local teenager Colby Junge is organizing a concert for a cause, bringing together townspeople to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Junge, 15, is no stranger to the power of music, witnessing first-hand its impact during his late grandmother’s battle with Alzheimer’s.
While she suffered from the disease, Junge was stunned to find she still remembered the words to Elvis Presley’s ballads.
“My grandmother was really into music, and she loved Elvis. I’d come home and she’d be listening to him sometimes even dancing and singing, still remembering the words to them which was a crazy thing to see,” Junge said.
After his grandmother’s passing, Junge began forming his own connection to music by playing guitar, leading him to wonder how he could connect his musical background and those affected by the disease.
“I started playing guitar after she passed away, so it’s been about two years now, but just going back to listen and listen to Elvis’s records, it kind of inspired me to take my music background and take the inspiration I have from her and Elvis and put that into trying to relate to other people,” Junge said.
Junge ultimately decided on a concert, combining his love for music with a goal of raising funds to fight Alzheimer’s.
“I just thought, what can I do to help other people going through this? I play guitar, so I figured let’s do a concert,” Junge said.
While he is a Boxford resident, Junge considers Andover a “second home” as it is the location of his family’s business leading him to opt to have the concert in town.
Planning for the event, called “Melodies of Hope,” began in December when Junge talked to town officials about the concert.
“I introduced the idea to a couple people, and they loved it, they thought it was great. They had a lot of questions because at that time I was just a 14-year-old kid with a big idea,” Junge said.
After getting a positive reception, Junge formed a lineup of artists including Black Klover, The Shadow of the Rose, The Boondock Sinners and Frankie Bonsignore.
“All these bands are doing this at no cost to them, which is great for our cause. It gives more money to the Alzheimer’s Association,” Junge said.
Similarly to the musicians, the Andover community contributed to the event through donations, free pizza, advertising and more.
Now, Junge is preparing for an influx of people to the event which will run July 13 from 4-8 p.m. at the Cormier Youth Center and feature a variety of music genres.
While the event is the first, Junge hopes that it will not be the last, aiming to expand it every year.
“I figure once the first year goes by, we can maybe get more sponsors next year as long as it’s a successful event, and go from there and make it a little bit bigger of an event each year, which I think will be great, a positive thing to bring the community together,” Junge said.