File photo by Sue Misao: Luc and the Lovingtons
BY MARCY STAMPER
SpaceyJ – more prosaically known as John Sinclair – is organizing a concert featuring his original compositions and the band Luc & the Lovingtons to benefit Room One and their suicide prevention programs.
Sinclair, a Liberty Bell High School student, will be playing violin and singing in six pieces he has written, including one composed for the Friday (May 17) concert. He will team up on several numbers with Luc & the Lovingtons, the Seattle-based world-soul-reggae band headed up by Methow Valley native Luc Reynaud.
The Lovingtons will also perform their own set. Some of Sinclair’s classmates will also be on stage, lending their talents in music and dance.
Sinclair said he wanted to use the event to help raise money for Room One. “I love what they do and have been involved with the Valley Teen Center,” he said.
Room One’s Executive Director Elana Mainer suggested he focus on the organization’s suicide prevention and response programs, and Sinclair liked the idea of using the concert to raise awareness – particularly among teens – about suicide.
They are planning a brief presentation to explain suicide risks and warning signs, and to let people know how they can support and help their peers. They will also provide contacts for local resources, including the Suicide Response Team connected with Room One.
Putting together the concert – planning it; coordinating sound systems, lighting and publicity; and writing and performing music – is Sinclair’s senior project. He is graduating from Liberty Bell High School a year early and will be doing an internship next year at Seattle’s KEXP, a nonprofit radio station.
The concert is from 8 to 10 p.m. at the Twisp Valley Grange. Admission is by donation and free for those 18 and under. Proceeds benefit Room One and their suicide-prevention activities.
Photo of John Sinclair courtesy of John Sinclair
