For Wells Fargo Center benefactors, it’s all about the kids

Five years ago, Alan and Susan Seidenfeld began a new chapter in life. Alan retired from (and sold) a successful advertising business that he and his partners had cultivated in Denver, and he and Susan moved to Santa Rosa to live closer to family. They were familiar with the area, but were newcomers and had no friends in place or connections to the community, other than their son, Justin, daughter-in-law, Dena, and three young granddaughters.

“We promised our son we wouldn’t be on his doorstep every day,” said Alan, pausing to smile. When they arrived in January 2011, he and Susan checked into a Windsor hotel and began their home search. Nearly every day, Alan drove past a large building along the Highway 101 corridor, thinking it must be a data processing center. Curious, one day he pulled into the parking lot and discovered, much to his pleasure, that it was the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, home to world-class performances.

“I bought general admission tickets to several shows at the box office,” said Alan, who shares a passion for music with Susan and prefers classical. “It’s a music of the soul,” Alan said.

One day Alan returned to the center, because he and Susan wanted to support the arts in a more significant way. He went to the box office and was connected with Wells Fargo’s Robin Seltzer, director of development. Said Alan, “Initially, I thought it was a venue for entertainment, but learned that it was (also) a venue for educating children.”

The Seidenfelds are all about kids. That day, Alan wrote a check on the spot for $1,500, which placed them in the Benefactor’s Circle. Later the same day, he learned that for an additional $1,500, he and Susan would enjoy VIP parking and, of course, there was the added bonus of helping more children.

That was the beginning of the Seidenfelds’ commitment to the center. “It’s important to expose children to music,” said Alan, who played the trombone for five years as a boy.

“Children feel the music. It’s an outlet for them and gives them something to love,” said Susan, an artist, who makes small ceramic pots and jewelry with dichroic glass. As for Susan’s musical preferences, she enjoys Frank Sinatra and rock ’n’ roll.

While the Center is widely-known as a venue for entertainment, it also provides educational programs that serve 30,000 youths each year in Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Marin and Napa counties; two-thirds of those students come from low- to moderate-income families. The Seidenfelds’ donations help support programs such as Music for Schools, Artists in the Schools, and school shows, which are tied to curriculum. What’s more, every year the Seidenfelds purchase 210 tickets to the symphony, which are donated to youth through local programs such as the Boys & Girls Club, and Chop’s teen club. Their support of the center also will play a role in making it possible for 30,000-plus children to see a show performed on stage this academic school year, such as the beloved classic, Dr. Seuss’ “The Cat in the Hat.”

Music is a universal language, according to Alan. He points out that when young Latino children are gaining command of English, music can help them assimilate into a the community as a whole while learning a new skill and building confidence.

What’s more, taking music lessons provides good life skills for children, Alan said. “By practicing, they learn how to apply themselves and they learn discipline.”

Young Alan’s music lessons were cut short when his family moved and he was enrolled in a school with no music program, another reason he supports music for children and youth.

Since moving to Santa Rosa in 2011, the Seidenfelds have settled into a new home and have made great progress in integrating into a new community. Describing herself as the “background person” in their support of the arts, Susan has developed an interest in country music since moving here. And Alan is now a board member and chairman of the development and business outreach committee at the center. Last year, the Seidenfelds were honored as benefactors of the year at the Art of Dessert annual gala. Meanwhile, they continue to help children “feel the music” through their donations. Said Alan, “I intend to continue to do this for as long as I can. The arts are the foundation of life and help a child develop into a whole person.”

Wells Fargo Center for the Arts is a nonprofit arts and events center. For more information, go to www.wellsfargocenterarts.org.