The hilarious and wildly talented band Dorkestra will hit the stage on Saturday, June 7, at Rancho Tranquilico, located at 11300 Island Lake Road, Dexter for an unforgettable night of music and purpose.
The event, playfully titled Dorkestravaganza ’25, is a benefit concert to support Lost Voices, a nonprofit dedicated to helping significantly traumatized youth find healing through music and songwriting.
Dave SmilingSun, co-founder of Dorkestra and Director/Producer of Dorkestravaganza ’25, shared insights about the show. He was joined by Mike Ball, Executive Director of Lost Voices, who was honored as a CNN Hero for his work in music-based trauma recovery.
Three acts of dork-tastic fun
SmilingSun revealed the program, which features both Dorkestra and their dance troupe, The Dorkettes:
- Act I: Dork Ellington
- Act II: Dorked Up Again
- Act III: Dork Is It
“It’s about the fact that music is medicine,” SmilingSun said. “That we each have experienced music’s healing powers and want to give back and support that. We have done benefits for music education and music educators and other great causes in the past. This year we want to help Lost Voices continue their amazing work of helping kids who are survivors of trauma find hope and healing through the power of music.”
A night for all ages
This public event welcomes everyone, and SmilingSun especially encourages “fun-loving people who want to have a unique night of merry-making and support an incredible cause.”
Expect a two-hour variety show featuring music that spans genres and eras—from 1859 to 2024. The Dorkettes will perform Samba, Jazz, Pop, Belly Dance, Classical, and more, while the band keeps the groove alive.
“There will be tunes for listening, tunes our Dance Troupe will perform, tunes for you to dance to, and tunes for all of it combined,” SmilingSun said.
SmilingSun also suggests bringing dancing shoes and a portable chair, especially for those bringing kids.
“We can pack the kids in around the grown folks, but if their adult is inclined to donate on their behalf, that would be wonderful,” he said.
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Who are the Dorkestra?
“Dorks Who Play Cool Music,” SmilingSun declared.
“I have been a dork for 61 years, proud of it for the last 45 years. I think Time Berla, Charles Dayringer and I started the band 18 years ago. We have grown, transformed, shrunk and grown over those years. This year’s ensemble has 19 Dork and Dorkette performers — of which I am the least skilled musician, but the most organized.”
Their sound is as eclectic as their spirit:
“The Dorkestra are founded in the great American Jazz tradition,” SmilingSun said. “And bring their study of funk, folk, marching gand, classical, disco, thrash, gospel, country, bachata, high-life, ga, urba, samba, bossa nova, salsa, gnawa, susu, metal, mambo, sharqi, muwashshah, calypso, reggae, trance, choro, be bop, hard bop, surf, swing, malinka, and more, to channel their souls into each piece of the performance.”
Healing through song
Mike Ball founded Lost Voices in 2008 after years of using songwriting as expressive therapy with teens.
“I began doing versions of this expressive therapy songwriting with teenagers in 2005,” Ball said. “I formed Lost Voices and was awarded our formal 501(c)(3) nonprofit designation in 2008. In 2023, I was named a CNN Hero for our work.”
Based in Michigan, Lost Voices has helped more than 5,000 young survivors of abuse, addiction, neglect, violence and human trafficking.
“Since day one, our core mission has been to help young women and men who have suffered trauma find ways to process their feelings in productive ways, through songwriting and performing workshops,” Ball explained.
Why fundraising matters
“Proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to Lost Voices, and we will be asking for donations during the show,” Ball said. “This sort of support is vital to the survival of our organization, especially in these days when Federal and other sources of funding are becoming increasingly erratic.”
Funds raised will help train and pay professional singer-songwriter facilitators, all specially trained in Trauma-Informed Care developed with the CASCAID Research Group at the University of Michigan School of Nursing.
“The residential care and other facilities where we work with the youth are generally themselves nonprofits… We cover costs they are not able to cover through fundraising events like this.”
Ball expressed deep gratitude for SmilingSun’s outreach:
“I was approached by Dave SmilingSun, who said that he found us in the course of a search for a local charity for their group to support,” Ball said. “Dave is a fantastic guy, and a fellow music nerd. The planning of the actual event has been mostly in his clearly capable hands.”
One night. One stage. One powerful impact.
“Right now there are hundreds of thousands of kids in this country who are struggling to survive terrible circumstances that are not any fault of their own,” Ball said. “In many ways, the actual definition of a child is change, and Lost Voices exists to help make sure that the change in these disadvantaged youth is for the better.”
“Every day and every dollar of support we receive moves us closer to my personal goal of continuing to grow our mission until we can eventually help every single child in this country who needs us.”
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
