But one member of the Dave Matthews Band will be playing in Orem tonight for another farewell, this time to the Music School in American Fork.

Recurring faculty member Rashawn Ross from the Dave Matthews Band will appear and perform with Music School students in a "Last Waltz"-style concert, along with Kurt Bestor, Thurl Bailey and others.

After a decade of serving more than 30,000 students from across the nation, The Music School closed its doors last month after investors unexpectedly pulled the plug. Tonight's farewell concert, featuring students and a bevy of celebrity musicians, is scheduled to celebrate the legacy of the school - and as a benefit to help the 70 faculty members who were suddenly left without jobs. Proceeds will be donated to the teachers.

"If you have to go out, you should go out with a bang," said percussion teacher Brandon Armstrong, an alum of the school and now assistant director of the Crescent Super Band, among other bands.

The decision to shutter the school by the investors (who were majority owners) came "out of the blue" on a Saturday night in late September, school founder Caleb Chapman said. Teachers were not paid for their final month's work, which amounts to more than $40,000 in all.

"It's such a shame to see this thing come to an end," said Jeff Coffin, who plays with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, and is in talks to permanently replace Moore as saxophone player in the Dave Matthews Band.

Coffin has been a visiting faculty member of the Utah school for five years. (He won't be at the concert because of an engagement in Argentina, but said he'll be there in spirit.)

The school, which had 1,500 students enrolled when the school was shut down, taught music to people from 6 months old to 89, Chapman said, with the majority being junior-high and high-school students.

One of the students' bands, the Crescent Super Band, is arguably the top high school-aged jazz orchestra in the country.

Chapman hopes the concert will be a proper send-off for the music school's legacy.

David Burger writes about popular music. Contact him at dburger@sltrib.com or 801-257-8620.

A Farewell to the Music School

When » Nov. 1 at 5:30 p.m.

Where » Utah Valley University Grande Ballroom, 800 West University Parkway, Orem.

Tickets » $10 at Graywhale stores or at the door

The Crescent Super Band will be part of a fundraiser for teachers of The Music School, which closed its doors last month after investors unexpectedly pulled the plug.