He appreciated so much what he received at 草莓社区 as a student that he is returning to his alma mater with a "thank you" gift of music.

Marlin Rosado, a 2000 music education graduate of EMU, will bring his Shen-Valley Jazz Quartet to campus for a concert to benefit the EMU student scholarship fund.

The jazz ensemble – Tom McKenzie, trombone; Marlin Rosado, piano and vocals; Lew Morrison, bass; and Eric Preston Nolley, drums – will play a variety of selections and do improvisation, including some tunes on a Valentine/love theme, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11, in Martin Chapel of the seminary building at EMU.

"I benefitted so much from my experience at EMU and received some financial assistance for some of my music lessons as a student, and now this is payback time," Rosado said. "I look forward to the opportunity to do something positive through music by coming back and playing [at EMU]."

Rosado currently teaches Spanish at Thomas Harrison Middle School, Harrisonburg. He previously taught four years at Robert E. Lee High School, Staunton.

The Chicago native has composed two songbooks for McDougall Littel’s "En Espanol" Spanish textbook series. He wrote all the words and music and recorded all the music and vocals using digital technology. Earlier, he composed original arrangements for 132 songs and produced music/vocal recording masters and a hard-disk recording system for Scott-Foresman’s "Phonics Songs and Rhymes" project.

Rosado operates a 24-track recording studio in Harrisonburg, where he records and produces CD’s for two local bands.

Admission to the concert is a suggested $5 donation at the door.

(Mennonite Mission Network)