So she formed Tavahope, an organization that assists cancer-stricken students at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, which Tava attends.
While Tava was receiving her treatments, she ran into another Berklee student who was also battling cancer.
"I met a girl who was undergoing chemotherapy, and she had no hair," Tava said. "At that time, the doctors were still determining whether I would need chemo or treatments. I asked the girl if Berklee was doing anything to help her, and she said that there wasn't a program to help students with cancer. It gave me the idea. There are so many kids, teenagers with cancer who need help. I figured they needed a benefit concert."
Tava started to organize benefit concerts to help Berklee students who are stricken with cancer.
"Who thinks of college kids with cancer?" Tava said. "It's usually the very young or the very old. We get caught in the middle."
Tava brought her concert plans to the Woman's Club of Weehawken, a group that her mother, Janet, belongs to.
"We were so touched to learn about Alex's goals," said Woman's Club President Marie Alberian. "We wanted to do whatever we could to help."
On Saturday night, March 18, there will be a special concert at the Senior Nutritional Center on Highwood Avenue to help raise money for the Tavahope cancer charity. The concert will feature Broadway star Rosemary Loar, who has starred in such productions as "Cats," "Chess," and "Sunset Boulevard" in her storied Broadway career.
Loar will be singing a repertoire of jazz standards and Broadway selections. She got involved in the concert because she is Tava's singing coach.
Loar's songs are an intimate conversation about her emotional take on society, bringing in humor and intensity.
Tava will also perform
"We're so fortunate to be able to have Rosemary perform for us," said Sarah Crew, another member of the Woman's Club. "She's a special talent."
Tava will also perform with her band, as her cancer is now a thing of the past.
"I feel pretty good now," Tava said. "It was hard for me not to get up and get around. I had to focus on getting better."
Tava said her recent illness inspired her to write more songs.
"I've been writing five songs a week," Tava said. "The songs have been flowing out of me. I really feel like I'm developing as a musician. I want to give back."
Meanwhile, Loar has been featured on Sting's soundtrack for the movie, "The Emperor's New Groove," as well as the cast albums of "Cats" and "Sunset Boulevard."
She has recorded three CDs, the latest being "Water From the Moon," which is also the score of Loar's original rock musical.
Loar has also been featured on NBC's The Today Show, on The Lifetime Network and on radio with Joe Franklin and Joan Hamburg.
The Woman's Club of Weehawken presents "An Evening with Rosemary Loar," a special benefit concert to help the Tavahope Cancer Charity for students of the Berklee College of Music who are stricken with cancer. The event will be held Saturday, March 18 at the Senior Nutritional Center in Weehawken, located at 206 Highwood Ave., beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets for the event are $25. Light refreshments will also be served. For tickets and other information, contact Alberian at (201) 348-9028.
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