Belmont University sophomore Caleigh McGilchrist glows with excitement while sipping coffee at Bongo Java, reliving the joys of her self-conceptualized fundraiser, Breast Fest, in honor of her mother’s battle with breast cancer.
McGilchrist had ideas for raising money in order to pay homage to her mother who lost her fight to breast cancer in 2012, but she never imagined they would include a concert at one of Nashville’s popular music venues or raising $700 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure.
The idea began with her friend Maria Crawford, who gave McGilchrist the idea to record covers of her mother’s favorite songs, to be streamed and sold on popular music sharing sites like iTunes and Spotify.
As the idea evolved, several people stepped in to assist McGilchrist in her inspiring efforts, transforming the small fundraiser into a benefit concert, overreaching McGilchrist’s original vision.
“It was something I knew I needed to do and it just unfolded,” said McGilchrist.
In expanding the project, she was able to enlist the help of the Mercy Lounge, which allowed her to put on the show for free, as well as singer-songwriters and local bands in Nashville, some having appeared on popular television shows like "The Voice" and "American Idol."
Since her mother’s passing, McGilchrist wanted to create an event to give back to a cause close to her heart. Her goal was to bring people together for a purpose, said McGilchrist.
Music was a great way to do just that since music comprised a large part of her mother’s life.
“I learned about music from her… As long as I can remember growing up, she was always musical,” said McGilchrist.
McGilchrist’s mother was interested in music from a young age and was given a guitar at 8 years old, later beginning a tradition by giving a guitar to McGilchrist upon turning 8.
In keeping with her mother’s musical style, McGilchrist utilized a variety of indie and alternative singer-songwriters and groups, including Caroline Glaser, Michael Kight, Liz Longley, Tim Halperin and Belmont-based band Bravetown.
Glaser, a contestant on the fourth season of "The Voice," didn’t know McGilchrist had lost her mother, but was eager to perform at Breast Fest as soon as she knew McGilchrist was dedicated to the idea and extremely passionate about it, saying it wasn’t even something she had to think about.
“I had no idea that her mom passed away or that she was affected by it, but when I found out I was honored to do it,” Glaser said, stating that everyone has been moved by the burden of cancer in some way or another.
Glaser’s role was to play a few of her original songs in a songwriters’ in-the-round format to foster a large audience presence at the show.
Halperin, a Nashville transplant and popular singer-songwriter, echoed Glaser’s sentiments, reflecting on the importance of McGilchrist’s enthusiasm for breast cancer awareness to be carried out.
“It was an easy decision to be a part of it,” Halperin said.
Halperin’s roots of supporting breast cancer run deep, as he had a hand in the planning and performance of a football game dedicated to breast cancer awareness at his alma mater, Texas Christian University.
A portion of proceeds from those ticket sales goes to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure each year, and a halftime show is centered around the cause.
Halperin wrote and performed a song to be used at his school’s event, and it later went on to become the track used in a national campaign for the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure.
As Halperin is no stranger to doing good for the cure, he was eager to get involved in McGilchrist’s cause because of its genuine nature.
“Caleigh was doing it for all the right reasons, so I jumped on board,” Halperin said.
Halperin’s passion for awareness transcends beyond merely showing support, saying that having a proper knowledge base on breast cancer is most important.
“It’s easy to put on a pink ribbon or to wear pink… it’s a cool thing to do, but there’s a lack of education,” said Halperin.
He emphasized the disconnect between showing support and actually being informed about the cancer and all of its dangers, saying it is a topic all people should be concerned with, both men and women.
“Early detection is the key, so getting tested is a huge deal,” Halperin said.
With performers just as moved by the cause as McGilchrist herself, the group was able to put on a successful show for the crowd.
McGilchrist was even able to end the evening with an encore of sorts by singing “Hey Jude,” the first song her mother taught her to play on guitar.
This moment was perhaps the most special moment of the evening, McGilchrist said.
McGilchrist was pleased with the turnout and was thankful for her intuition to bring her idea to fruition.
“You know those feelings where you just know you’re supposed to do something? I know that God wouldn’t have put this on my heart if I wasn’t supposed to do this, so I just trusted that,” McGilchrist said.
