Shelley Lazar, a Music in Schools Today (MuST) Board member since 1995, has been dubbed "the mastermind behind rock royalty's all-access passes" by Vanity Fair magazine. A colleague of rock impresario Bill Graham since the late 60's, Shelley worked as a New York City school teacher and administrator for twenty years before moving to the San Francisco area in 1990 at Bill Graham's request. She was Vice President/Artistic Relations and Special Projects Coordinator at Bill Graham Presents (BGP). Immediately after Bill Graham's death in 1991, Shelley became Founding Director of the Bill Graham Foundation. In 2002, she started her own company, SLO Limited.

Here is Shelley in her own words:

Music and Me: At my first Spring Concert as a teacher/conductor of fourth graders in 1970 -- I remember they were playing "The Good Old Duke of York" on their recorders; there was no one to play the cymbals. Solution? I tied a cymbal to each knee and became the solo cymbalist as I conducted an orchestra of giggling 10-year olds! I had a great love and heartfelt joy in teaching young children. Music was always a major component of the day's activities and lessons (classical, folk, opera, ethnic, rock and pop). My own childhood musical influences included The Weavers, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Burl Ives, Mahalia Jackson, Peter, Paul & Mary, Leonard Bernstein and the Young People's Concerts.

Bill Graham and Me: Bill Graham entered my life during his Fillmore East days. I worked with him on world tours and special concert events that he promoted (The Rolling Stones, Amnesty International Concerts for Human Rights, Live Aid, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, etc.). In 1990, after working full-time in two different fields for over two decades, I let Bill convince me to move to San Francisco and work just for him. After his tragic death in 1991, we established the Bill Graham Foundation so that Bill's philanthropy could continue. Bill was always involved in music and cultural arts in the schools. It was his charitable "passion," as it has always been mine. He unstintingly provided music scholarships, after-school art and poetry programs, ticket donations to schools for ballet and symphony performances, and benefits that would raise dollars and awareness of the need for the arts in schools.

MuST and Me: My involvement in kids' music has carried over from my teaching days. I also feel that by supporting music education, I am fostering an interest and enthusiasm for concertgoers. I have been able to line up a couple of major benefits for MuST and to involve other BGP staff persons in MuST -- our Vice President of Marketing, Lovester Law, is helping in the development of various fundraising programs.

BGP and Me: As Vice President of Artist Relations and Special Projects, I was the personal link between BGP and the artists. I've helped produce world tours and major events with The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Barbara Streisand, The Three Tenors, Concerts for a Free Tibet, and too many more to mention. As I write this, I am currently on tour with Madonna.

Through BGP's college internship program, I introduced young adults to the business of music -- production, logistics, ticketing, booking, catering -- whatever it takes to put a concert or a tour together. I started on the bottom rung of the music business ladder, working for free, taking tickets, cleaning dressing rooms (yes, including the ashtrays and toilets!), catering backstage meals for the crew and performers (Billy Joel loves my Swedish meatball recipe; Frank Sinatra always asked me to prepare my grandmother's recipe for chicken soup).

I have set high standards for myself and for my support staff -- the highest one is being a "mensch" -- a charitable and kind person who is honest to herself and to others. The respect one gains that comes from these qualities and from being able to laugh at oneself is paramount for success.