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Music and Philanthropy

Music-loving alumni who have followed the career of blues guitarist Scott Ainslie, Washington and Lee Class of 1974, won’t be surprised that he recently played a stellar gig with the famed saxophonist Branford Marsalis and the jazz pianist Joey Calderazzo. What they may not know is Scott’s philanthropic side. The Branford Marsalis &

Friends concert benefited the North Carolina Symphony, which is facing $8 million in budget cuts. Symphony President and CEO David Worters called the concert “an amazing array of music performed by some of the most brilliant artists in the world,” including “our new best friend, Scott Ainslie.” As far as Scott is concerned, “it was a great night,” he tells us.

Scott, who lives in Brattleboro, Vt., when he’s not playing music all over the country, has also produced a CD, “Care for All,” which benefits the Vermont Workers’ Center Healthcare Is a Human Right campaign. And he’s working with Gulf Aid Acadiana, a Louisiana charity that is helping communities affected by the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. “In the short term, we will concentrate on assisting impacted fishermen and their families,” says Scott. “In the long term, our mission is to assist in the restoration of the ecological vitality of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands.”

For more about Scott, his music, his philanthropy and other interests, see his website.