Help South Los Angeles jazz band perform in Paris

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Students at the Foshay Learning Center in South Los Angeles say playing in the jazz band has changed their lives.

"Without music, I wouldn't have found the voice that I didn't know I had," said Karina Salas, who plays the trumpet.

Sydney Turner says playing the piano helped her gain confidence and "pushed [her] to do things outside of school."

Vincent Womack has led the band for 20 years.

"I want to do everything how he does it," Salas said. "He sets a high standard for himself and I want to do the same."

Over the years, Womack has won virtually every award.

The band played with Alicia Keys on "The Queen Latifah Show." Legendary rocker Eddie Van Halen donated his guitars after hearing them perform.

The students have performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the House of Blues and the Hollywood Bowl. Now, they've been invited to perform three times in Paris, France.

"We not only want to represent Los Angeles but we have a quest to represent the entire country," Womack said.

The students recently read the autobiography of jazz legend Miles Davis.

"How he described Paris, it's how much it inspired him, and that's, me personally, something I want to experience," said Steven Vallejo, who plays the saxophone.

"It'll give me a chance to see how the other cultures and people interact," Turner said.

The flight from South L.A. to Paris, however, isn't cheap. It costs about $50,000.

"Unfortunately what we don't have is a lot of money," Womack said.

The students have performed all over town. They've raised almost $40,000, but are still about $12,000 short.

"It's getting down to the wire," Womack said. "I'm hoping that in the next couple weeks, we make this dream come true!"

If you'd like to make a donation, visit www.foshaylc.org.