What is FunkRaiser?

Funkraiser is an annual fundraising event that raises money to supplement the music program at Ridgefield High School. Rather than do a bake sale or sell candy, we instead created a single event that provides a unique and exciting performance opportunity for our students and gives a night of incredible entertainment to its patrons. This ain’t your run-of-the-mill high school concert (even though those are pretty awesome too!) There is some seriously cut-a-rug, high-energy entertainment. Read more about the musical lineup below.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Click Here!

Musical Lineup

Shere Khan forms the core rhythm section and lead alto of the Robust Funkestra.

Headlining: Robust Funkestra

This is a supergroup made up of teachers from the entire RHS music department, local private instructors, university professors, and students from across the band, choir, and orchestra program. The heart of the band is made up of local funk outfit SHERE KHAN and RHS staff. Featuring our very own Mr. Mac on guitar, WCSU Associate Jazz professor Andrew Beals on saxophone (and private teacher to many of our students), trumpet and keyboard legend Jamie Finegan on keys (also a private instructor to many of our students), the Ghost of Soul and Ridgefield resident Lucas Gould on the bass, and RHS parent and fellow funksmith Greg DiMiceli on drums. By itself, this group would knock your socks off.

But wait…there’s more…

Teachers from our own RHS music department, band director Mr. George Beratis on the sax and Choir Director Mr. Kevin Haines on percussion. Not to mention the infamous middle school orchestra director Mr. Shane Peters on guitar, who has accepted a challenge from Mr. Mac to a live guitar duel which will be refereed by Mr. Beratis!

But wait…there’s more…

There are not enough horns with just two alto saxes. Where’s the BRASS, y’all? Or the growlin’ tenor and bari? We will also be welcoming the horn section from ROBUST 7, an RHS rotation of our finest jazz-funk musicians from the RHS Jazz Band.

But wait…there’s still more…how is this possible?

You can’t play 70s style funk without strings, man, c’mon now. Strings will be provided by the combined RHS and RMS Chamber Orchestras.

But wait…that’s just not enough funk…

Of course not. That’s why lead vocals will be provided by theater department starlet Kyra Linekin and background vocals by other members of the RHS Choir.

It’s gonna be BANANAS, people.

The Ridgefield high school jazz band

The Ridgefield High School Jazz Band is one of the most seasoned and premier ensembles at RHS. An audition-only group of some of the finest band musicians in the program, they have won the acclaim of the community and are our most frequently requested ensemble for local events. They have performed at the Aldrich Museum and the Lounsbury House, opened for professional acts at the Ridgefield Playhouse, and have sent various small combos to galas, town events like the Holiday Stroll, cocktail hours, private gatherings, and fundraisers.

Led by new RHS Band Director Mr. George Beratis, this group will crush any sub-genre in the jazz realm, including its rebel child: FUNK.

RHS Jazz Band performing at the Winter Small Ensembles Concert, January 2020

Robust 7

An entirely student-led group formed out of a rotation of musicians from the RHS Jazz Band, the Robust 7 has appeared all over Ridgefield at town events, while also taking up monthly residencies with adult band Shere Khan for First Funky Fridays at the Village Tavern and former Tigers' Den. Each month would feature a different lineup of musicians from the jazz program. Since its inception, the constant gigging quickly added maturity and depth of sound to the soloists, who would challenge each other and shed their lines to make each other better. Now, they’re just one of the most fun bands around to listen to. They’re quite robust!