CHARTING THE MAP TO
HERE AT HOME

July, 2008, White Plains, New York – Some have said the way to “Here at Home” has been a long journey. We’re here to tell you it’s been a road with many twists…some bumpy…all of them good. Here’s how it all started…

First, there was a group of friends. Rich Fazio (Mount Vernon, NY) Brian Tostanoski (Yonkers, NY) , Robert Agnello (Brooklyn, NY) and Ross “The Boss” Friedman (Bronx, NY) who performed together in various rock groups. Life being what it is, the music needed to find a way to co-exist with other ways of earning money to support growing families. OK…some would say the music was “side-lined.” No harm. After the band members went their separate ways, Brian Tostanoski and Rich Fazio continued to write and record songs together.

On one such session, their conversation led them to the situation surrounding the lives of today’s soldiers. The two musicians wondered how the men and women overseas were able to leave their families for such an unspecified amount of time. More importantly, how did these families make ends meet without the prior financial support the soldier once provided? Knowing that a serviceman’s salary is simply not the same as that of a civilian, the two thought of their own families and the hardships they’d be forced to overcome. It was a sobering conversation. A week later, Brian returned to the studio with an outline of a song, which within 4 hours would become “Here At Home.”

The players…the plan.

Over the next few weeks, Brian and Rich would record a working rendition as they always did. Then, while at a dinner party, the pair played the recording for Robert Agnello. He was immediately “on board” suggesting the recording be taken to the next level with audio and video to raise awareness. It was then they realized that “Here At Home” could be much more than “just a song.” It could be a means to raise money to help military families.

The hunt was on to find the musicians and production team willing to volunteer their time and expertise to make the “Here At Home” vision a reality. So, the three reached out to an old band mate, guitarist Ross “the boss” Friedman, who because of his 30 year career, 20 albums and as many world tours, developed a large following and received a lot of fan mail from military personnel. without hesitation he, too, said “count me in!” Pre-production soon was underway with the addition of longtime friend and keyboardist Larry Sac.

Robert recruited Paul Special who was working on the television show Nashville Star at the time, and generously flew to New York in between episodes to engineer the project. Due to scheduling conflicts once recording began, another old friend Gordon Gebert was brought in to share the keboard duty. The band had known Gordon since high school where he had gone on to replace Gregg Giuffria in the band Angel. Mixing and mastering was gladly handled by Danny Caccavo, an Emmy winner for sound mixing presently living in San Francisco employed by Digi Design, and Howie Weinberg a renowned mastering engineer at Master Disk in New York City with 100’s of multi-platinum recordings to his credit. Adding the artistic talent of Michael Nigro and master web designer Attila Juhasz was essential in completing the package.

The bigger picture.

The decision was made to start a 501-C3 non-profit foundation to help the families of U.S. military reservists experiencing tremendous financial hardship due to the difference between their civilian and military salaries. Having heard and still hearing about the inability to pay their mortgages and bills, the musicians felt compelled to help. To this end, Rich, Robert and Brian retained the legal services of Celia R Clarke and began the official process of establishing a certified non-profit organization. They are happy to say that they are now the Here At Home Song Foundation Inc. This foundation provides funds raised by the “Here At Home” song to the struggling families of reservists…men and women who have volunteered to serve their country and now find their tours extended for longer than they ever expected.

How to donate.

Donating is easy. Click on the icon for “donate” and you will enter a verified secure domain through PayPal. You may choose to donate .99¢ and download the Here At Home song.

Or, you may choose to make a larger contribution of $5, $10, $100 or more. The choice is yours. Know that your donation is completely secure. You will receive an automatic reply acknowledging your tax-deductible contribution. In the weeks ahead, you can check back and see how your support for the courageous families of servicemen and women has grown…and even read about some of the families you’ve helped.

You can also send a check or money order payable to Here At Home Song Foundation, Inc., 50 North Broadway, Suite 5K, White Plains, New York, 10603. To receive a letter acknowledging your mailed contribution, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. (No letters of receipt can be sent unless a self-addressed, stamped envelope is included.)

It’s up to you.

This non-profit is more than a foundation…it’s a “thank you” to the men and women who serve and the families that bravely let them. The first steps have already been taken…the next step is yours. Click on the “donate” icon at www.hereathomesong.com and do your part. Then, tell a friend!

###