Unforgettable Sunrise 9/30/2023 Performance. Alex Theatre. Glendale, CA

A Symphonic collaboration between Jacob Rock and Rob Laufer. Performed by 55 USC Thornton School of Music Students-Conducted by-Daniel Newman Lessler.
More Information about Jacob Rock, Rob Laufer, and Unforgettable Sunrise at Wildhoneyfoundation.com
Wild Honey Foundation:
It started with a less-than-planned, but hugely successful musical gathering of Brian Wilson super fans from Los Angeles in the rented home of Wild Honey Foundation co-founder Paul Rock in late 1993. In the fall of 1994, Wild Honey, fueled by its core team of friends: Rock, David Jenkins, and Andrew Sandoval, became a sensation when Brian Wilson delivered a super rare solo band performance Wild Honey’s second annual Wilson Celebration at the 200 seat Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica. Big Star/Box Tops legend Alex Chilton joined the fun and funds were raised for Sweet Relief and their effort help ailing musicians. From 1994 to 2003, Wild Honey produced shows featuring the music of the Kinks, Everly Brothers, the Hollies, Pete Townshend, Harry Nilsson, Elvis Costello, and even solo music by Paul McCartney.. More funds were raised for Sweet Relief, gun control, music in the schools, cancer research, and much more. A musical family was built during these years and many of the same performers have gone on to become the core of the ensemble now known as the Wild Honey Orchestra.
Wild Honey went on an extended hiatus from 2003 until 2013. The birth of Wild Honey driving force Paul Rock’s first and only son Jacob in 2004 took him away from Wild Honey and into unchartered territory: learning how to become a parent of a boy with severe, non-verbal autism. In 2013, however, Paul brought back Wild Honey to raise funds for Jacob’s participation in the Autism Think Tank, an organization that provides online medical conferences with elite autism specialists from all disciplines. The subsequent sold-out Beatles show raise enough funds for 4 kids to participate in the Autism Think Tank and Wild Honey was back!
In the following years, Wild Honey produced 2 more sold-out Beatles events, a tribute to Big Star Third, Beach Boys 1967-1977, the Band, Buffalo Springfield, a second Kinks show, and beloved Lovin’ Spoonful show in February of 2020, just 2 weeks before the global covid shutdown, that featured the first reunion of surviving founders John Sebastian, Steve Boone, and Joe Butler. Through these second wave of shows, Wild Honey raised over 200,000 for the Autism Think Tank and other autism groups. Through the years, Wild Honey’s guest performers have included: John Sebastian, Steve Boone, Joe Butler of the Lovin’ Spoonful, Brian Wilson, Dave Davies, Richie Furay, Garth Hudson, Jackson Browne, Carlene Carter, Alex Chilton, the Bangles, Beach Boy Al Jardine, Micky Dolenz, Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Lenny Kaye, Al Stewart, Dave Gregory of XTC, and many others.
From 2014 onward, Wild Honey has also produced an ongoing series of backyard shows that feature many of the big show performers doing their original music, including Al Stewart, Dan Wilson, The Mekons, Melanie, members of the Bangles, and many others. Wild Honey has also begun streaming live music from its new soundproof garage studio.. At the same time, Wild Honey has created the George Bailey Relief fund to aid our family members in financial distress, especially in the wake of the hardships associated with the covid epidemic. Through online fundraising, Wild Honey has donated nearly $100,000 to help members of its extended musical community. This effort is ongoing and desperately needed for Wild Honey to continue.
Wild Honey has also undertaken its own autism music initiative after Wild Honey’s inspiration Jacob Rock, now 20, acquired the ability to type out his thoughts and feelings and revealed that he had created UNFORGETTABLE SUNRISE, a full-blown 70-minute symphony in his head. Working from Jacob’s vivid description of the instruments, tone, and autobiographical themes, Wild Honey musical director Rob Laufer created a musical soundscape to match Jacob’s detailed vision. With help from 55 players from the USC Thornton School of Music and conductor Daniel Newman-Lessler, Wild Honey brought Sunrise to a 1000 folks at the Alex Theatre in Glendale on Sept 30.th Jacob was thrilled by the amazing live performance that matched his initial vision. The subsequent LA Times feature story and review confirmed the brilliance of the piece and sparked interest from across the globe, including the possibility of turning Jacob’s story into a Hollywood feature film. Wild Honey hopes to create a program for other Wild Honey musicians to follow in Rob’s footsteps and work with other non-verbal kids with their own musical visions inside their heads. This is the future of Wild Honey: showing the world the power of music to heal and unite people with autism and the music community.

[@n-o_no]

Thank You, Mr. Rock and Mr. Laufer for bringing this amazing music into the world ❤

[@MO-xj9dt]

Beautiful ❤

[@Mushthrullu]

60 Minutes brought me here. Very excited to listen to this piece!

[@dianestrauss9699]

Wonderful! Thank you, Jacob and Rob, for this musical delight. To me, it's reminiscent of 20th century American composers like Copeland and Bernstein.

[@Opuskaz]

Sunday Morning brought me here and I loved the pice they did. Jacob is cool and amazing!! On tope pf that, I am enjoying this symphony. Rob, you really impressed me with your patience, flexibility and drive to bring this to life. My niece's son has autism and his ear for music blows my mind at only 5 years of age.

[@risk.r6871]

this is bound to go viral sooner or later. it is just matter of time. thank you, jacob rock.

[@blushift]

Fantastic!

[@Soapluvva]

Abfab and totally amazing! Greetings to Paul, Lisa, Jacob, Bronx, Rob, and all from beautiful, downtown Briarwood!!!

[@timfoley5298]

This would make a brilliant score for a ballet/modern dance.

[@PaulRockWildhoneyfoundation]

Movement 2 will be performed as a dance by Juilliard students with live music in December, The very talented Jenn Freeman with be the instructor and choreographer.

[@Astro_Mozart]

I want a vynil. Will you be planning on printing some?

[@PaulRockWildhoneyfoundation]

We are exploring all possibilities for recordings. We will try our best

[@Astro_Mozart]

⁠ Incredible, please do. Jacob’s masterpiece needs to be shared with the entire world. 🫶🥹