Ric Alviso, a professor in California State University Northridge’s Department of Music, will be performing at the Harvest Moon Gathering, a fundraising festival for the Painted Turtle Camp, alongside his band, Masanga Marimba, on Saturday, Oct. 25 in Lake Hughes.

The festival will also feature artists such as Neil Young, Beck and Lana Del Rey.

“We’ve been playing at the Painted Turtle Camp for over 15 years after we were approached while playing at the Santa Monica farmers market,” said Alviso. “The director came up and invited us to the camp, which is a camp for children who are medically fragile or have life-threatening illnesses and do not have much opportunity in the summer to go out with other kids.”

Masanga Marimba is an African music ensemble. The band was first established in a CSUN music class in 2000, when Alviso first joined CSUN’s Music department. Students who graduated wanted to continue playing the band and people around the community were requesting performances. Today, the band is made up of Alviso and eight CSUN Music alumni.

The Painted Turtle Camp was established by Neil Young and Lou Adler. They, in coordination with Paul Newman, joined to raise money for the camp. This will be the third time the Harvest Moon Gathering takes place.

“This being the third time we’re opening for Neil Young is thrilling and exciting. It’s fun to hear every year the other artists that are joining and that we’re playing with,” Alviso said.

“We play on marimbas. Not the standard marimbas or one you would find in a band, but marimbas that come from the country of Zimbabwe, and a lot of our music is from Zimbabwe,” he said.

The band plays music from Africa and Latin America, and does creative covers of popular songs, Alviso said. “I think there is a little bit of something for everyone in this festival.”

The Department of Music, part of the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication, provides students with nationally recognized training and experienced professors in music, leading them to a wide variety of professional careers. They push to inspire students in a high level of creativity and advanced knowledge of musical arts.