CENTERVILLE ó Sometimes, a little music can help change the world. The Rodgers Academy of Learning is setting out to test that theory with their first annual Sharing Festival, with concerts set for 2 and 4 p.m. on Aug. 16 at Rodgers Memorial Theater. The performances, which will offer groups from several different Rodgers classes offering up a wide range of Broadway favorites, will have all their proceeds donated directly to three different humanitarian projects for children. ##M:MORE##

ìWe at RMT were talking about the actors we find most pleasant to work with, and we decided that the motivation behind their performances was as much about making others happy as it was about finding happiness for themselves,î said Shelley Davies, one of the directors of the academy.

ìThe thought occurred that if we introduced the very youngest of our actors to some very real needs of other children and then provided a vehicle by which they could help fill some of those needs, it might very well plant some of those ëcompassioní seeds in them.î

The students in the various summer camps were shown videos of children in need, after which the entire group teamed up with the Humanitarian Center in Centerville in order to find the groups they wanted to help. The final choice was to focus on three international aid projects for children, targeting the need for wheelchairs, measles vaccinations, and safe drinking water.

The fund-raising concert, which was divided into two parts to meet size needs, will feature songs from Broadway hits such as ìWest Side Story,î ìWicked,î ìAnnie,î and ìOliver.î High Frequency, a year-round performing group of jr. high and high school students that has already performed at several local venues, will also be taking part at the festival.

Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased at the door. Additional donations will also be gratefully accepted. For more information, please call 298-1302.