Ron Sarfaty benefit concert in Venice May 5

Ron Sarfaty ("the guy in the wheel chair" who video tapes the singer-songwriters all over Los

Angeles without ever charging a dime) totaled his accessible van a couple of weeks ago.  He’s

physically okay, but has lost his independence, therefore, a large portion of the singer-songwriter

community is putting on a benefit to raise the money he needs to buy a “new” used van, and the

adaptive equipment he needs in order to drive it.

Ron has been a major asset to the singer-songwriter community for 11 years, video-taping

performers at their gigs and editing the videos for them, all for free. He has insurance for the

van, but it’s for current value only (its 18 years old with 250,000 miles), and not for the

replacement value.

The benefit will be held on Sunday, May 5^th, from 7-11 pm at The Talking Stick Coffee Lounge in

Venice, Ca.  Aside from the roster of talent performing at the benefit, community involvement

includes various house concert and small venue promoters:  Russell & Julie Paris (Oak Park),

Jaynee Thorne (North Hills), Jeff Gold - West Valley Music Center (West Hills), John & Julie

Zipperer (Northridge), Lauri Reimer - The Talking Stick (Venice), Steve Brogden - Thousand

Oaks Library, Lauren Adams - Genghis Cohen (Los Angeles), and Bob Stane – Coffee Gallery

Backstage (Altadena).  Other prominent singer-songwriter advocates pitching in are Roz Larman

(KPFK Folkscene radio show) and Paul Zollo (editor of American Songwriter and Blue Railroad

magazine).

Ron first starting video taping singer-songwriters in 2001, before the stroke he suffered in 2004

that left him wheelchair dependent.  Being an ardent fan of the music, he began doing it because

it enabled him to give back to the artist’s whose music he loved.  Unable to fully recover from

the stroke he just continued on dedicating his time and expertise to the artists.  His donated work,

to date, includes taping 100+ performers, and editing at least 500 separate videos from their

performances.  He has also produced multiple music videos and DVDs, all out of pocket.

A list of the better known songwriters that he’s produced videos for includes: jazz great Mike 

Garson, virtuoso violinist Drew Tretick, Grammy award winner Wendy Waldman, jazz singer 

Nnenna Freelon, and National treasures - Berkley Hart, Dan Navarro, Nathan Rogers, Severin 

Browne, John Batdorf and James Lee Stanley.  A list of the better known venues where he’s shot 

videos includes:  McCabes Guitar Shop, The Broad Theater (Santa Monica), SOKA University, 

Coffee Galley Backstage, Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest, Tucson Folk Festival, The Stern 

Grove Festival in San Francisco, Four Friends Gallery in Thousand Oaks, and the Simi Valley 

Cultural Center.

Videos are the singer-songwriter's most valuable tool in the digital age.  They're used to pitch 

promoters for gigs and are uploaded to YouTube to promote the artist to both local and global 

audiences.  Singer-songwriters websites are used as press kits with the video as the make-or-

break aspect of the success of the performer's impression.  The cost of these videos, to the singer-

songwriters who are often independent artists, with little or no backing, can range from hundreds 

to thousands of dollars.  Ron’s generosity has been immense, which is why the response to give 

back to this very kind and generous man has been immense.  

The benefit, with Emcees: Tara Sitser and Tom Hubbard, will feature a songwriter-in-the-round 

with Wendy Waldman, John Batdorf, James Lee Stanley, and Dave Tucker and upstairs 

song circles for open participation hosted by John Mollenhauer.  It will also include stage 

performances by many well-loved LA-based artists including:  Lauren Adams, Severin Browne, 

Fur Dixon, Susie Glaze, Jeff Gold, Earl Grey & Lisa Johnson, Tom Hubbard & Ken Holme  

(H2), Michael Wesley Hughes, Arlene Kole, John Mollenhauer, Dave Morrison, Lisa Nemzo, 

Tracy Newman, Tara Sitser, Gary Stockdale, Ric Taylor, Tim Tedrow & Terry Vreeland, Jaynee 

Thorne, Ed Tree, Chad Watson & Pam Loe, Joyce Woodson, and John Zipperer.

Benefit for Ron Sarfaty

May 5^th 7-11 pm

The Talking Stick Coffee Lounge

1411 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, California 90291

(310) 450-6052

www.thetalkingstick.net

To make a tax deductible donate visit the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund webpage: 

https://www.sweetrelief.org/program/ron-sarfaty-fund/.