Over the past few years, I have been incredibly fortunate to perform three times with a small jazz group at the Zahra foundation ‘Next Steps’ fundraiser. The Zahra Foundation supports women suffering domestic abuse, and provides programs, services, education and grants.
I first performed in 2023, with the SPSC Jazz Combo 1, which was a new and eye-opening experience – when the opportunity was presented, I was keen to experience a more professional music environment combined with providing service for others and supporting such an admirable cause. This was one of the first acts of service I undertook as part of the SPSC Service Learning program, and I was very touched by the incredible gratitude of the members of the foundation and participants in the fundraiser. This ended up inspiring me to commit further to the program and realise the importance of service in life. Notably, the number of thank yous and amount of appreciation was unlike anything I’d received before, and this encouraged me to truly consider how much of an impact small actions of mine can have on so many others, especially the potential thousands of people participating in the fundraiser.
I was fortunate enough to be again invited to perform with two separate groups of friends in 2024 and 2025, with both years providing similar and yet differently thought-provoking experiences. Notably, performing this year was challenging in windy conditions, which required some resilience and problem-solving, however this showed me how people are often generous and keenly aware of these small challenges, and I was pleasantly surprised with the support the organisation provided in negating these.
I would highly recommend being involved in a similar event at some point in life, whether as a musician or runner, as the environment, group atmosphere, and significance of the cause can often make you contemplate the intricacies and subtleties of humanity and community.
Quinn Murphy (Year 11)
