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October 27, 2005
Fidelity/McCartney Music Lives - Intentions = Good!
I had a very nice conversation with an executive in the communications office at Fidelity. She was very helpful in both listening to my concerns (one hit wonder?) and then answering some of my skeptical questions. The main points I learned are:
Are the partners in it for the long haul? I will admit this is a tough question for someone to answer. All you can look at is history. Fidelity does have a long history of supporting programs. However, and this is important, this is only the SECOND program they have ever established at the corporate level for charitable purposes. The first is the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, which has a well-established history. Also consider Sir Paul has not gone into anything half heartedly… and the fact that this is being set-up as a separate non-profit… these are all strong signs that this is more than just a marketing stunt for the aging baby boomer business.Will Music Lives Be an Independent Non-Profit? According to Fidelity, Music Lives will have a separate independent board of directors made up largely of music educators and experts related to the field. (They said the board would be named shortly.) It will not be a corporately controlled non-profit... but will benefit from the generous in-kind support to cover staffing, administration, as well as the marketing and promotional tie-ins (a $20 million ad campaign and a sold out concert tour doesn’t hurt!) to generate the base revenue of the organization. This is REALLY important. There have been other music ed based non-profits with corporate ties where the corporation's interests actually interfered with the mission of the non-profit. When the business tries to control the non-profit nothing good usually happens. It seems to me the structure Fidelity explained will go a long way to protect the foundation from any corporate interference.
Are they Reinventing the Wheel? According to Fidelity, Music Lives will primarily be a fund to support other programs that are doing great work. They will NOT have programs of their own. This makes some sense since there are plenty of great music education programs and non-profits that could use the support.
How Does Someone Apply? Like many umbrella funds (money generated for re-granting purposes) Music Lives plans on identifying programs for potential support and then inviting organizations to apply. It does not appear there will be an open application process for anyone. This is not an uncommon practice with this type of fund. The question will be “how does one get on their radar screen for consideration?” This I am sure will become clearer as they develop the overall organization model.
Even though the roadway is littered with the wreckage of corporate tie-ins to music education that have gone into the ditch, Fidelity deserves the benefit of the doubt. I do think they probably are sincere about the issue and love the tie-in with a music legend. Their intentions seem to support the broad goals of the music education community.
My only hope is that Fidelity/Sir Paul/Music Lives will work strategically with the rest of the field who have been fighting the good fight to ensure their effort have the greatest impact on the entire field, and that when the allure of the shiny new initiative wears off they are right there in the trenches, standing shoulder to shoulder with the rest of us fighting for this idea of music for all.
Posted by musicforall at 4:15 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 23, 2005
Arts Education and the NJ Governor's Race
In case you may have missed it... here in New Jersey we will be electing a new governor in 2 weeks. Being a "homer" this is really important. It is hard to give advice to other states and communities if you do not use it yourself. Much of what we do around the country is based on experiences and knowledge developed here in NJ.
When you consider Governor Huckbee's comment that "A seat in the statehouse is better than 100 people on the steps" we wondered what our gubernatorial candidates thought about arts education. The Star Ledger, one of our states leading papers, published lengthy interviews with both candidates. Here are the relevant questions and answers:
Jon Corzine, (D)
Q: Is government support of the arts essential?
A: Yes. I think the arts are some thing that bridge the differences in our society, and we are in New Jersey an extraordinarily diverse society. And we have the ability to pull ourselves together. Conservatives and liberals may very well enjoy the same art. It's a place where people can touch each others lives across racial, gender, political, all kinds of lines. It enlightens our lives. It's an extraordinary, positive ingredient.
Now, saying that government has a role to be involved? Every thing has to be done in a context of prioritization and balance. Do I believe we ought to teach and expose our children to arts? Yes. Do I think society ought to invest? Within our means, yes.
Q: Do you consider yourself artistic?
A: I'm hopeless. I can't carry a tune, can't brush a stroke. I enjoy music, dance and watching people who know what they’re doing.
Q: Did you ever try to play a musical instrument in school?
A: Oh, yeah. I had to take six years of piano lessons, and I can barely do a C scale. I took the clarinet for six years, from 6th grade on. I was the president of the band, and I sat last place among 21 clarinets.
Star Ledger Interview with Jon Corzine
Doug Forrester, (R)
Q: Do you consider government support of the arts a frill?
A: No.
Q: What level would you support it at?
A: At exactly the right level.
Q: Which is?
A: These follow-up questions are killing me.
No, I think the arts are very close to the purpose of life. I believe that it's important. Arts education is very important. I am a big advocate of arts education. And I believe the arts are economically helpful, and I think the best way for the state to be involved in the arts is actually through capital commitments. I am less enthused with support for specific artists, but I would like to relieve art organizations of capital expenditures.
Q: Museums, theatres ...
A: That's right. The bricks and mortar of artistic enterprise is expensive. It's much better for art organizations to raise funds and use their own discretion and wisdom about how to facilitate particular performances and presentations.
Q: Do you consider yourself artistic?
A: I would hope that in retrospect my governance of New Jersey would be considered very creative in a positive way.
I think it is great to have a former high school band president running for office. I think it is even better that both candidates are even discussing their views on arts education.
This is progress.
Posted by musicforall at 10:14 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 20, 2005
Paul McCartney/Fidelity Partner for Music Education - Another One Hit Wonder?
This week Paul McCartney and Fidelity Investments announced their partnership to support music education called Music Lives:
When 54 million children went back to school across America this fall, it is likely that 27 million of them found they would not receive adequate music instruction in their classrooms(1). Even though experts have shown that music education dramatically improves performance both in and out of the classroom(2), increases SAT scores by 100 points(3) and keeps kids in school(4), budget cuts have been breaking up marching bands and silencing school choruses from Maine to California(5).In a major initiative to combat this alarming trend, Fidelity Investments today joined music icon Paul McCartney to launch a new public charity -- The Music Lives Foundation -- aimed at raising awareness of and critical funding for music education programs in schools.
"As a boy growing up in Liverpool, I was surrounded by music," said Paul McCartney. "That's just the way it was. The problem is that more and more music programs are in danger of being eliminated. That's why I'm proud to join Fidelity in supporting The Music Lives Foundation. After years and years of playing in a band and making a living doing what I love, I can honestly say: Where would I be without music?"
My only problem with all of this is: Will this be another one hit wonder? Remember the Folgers campaign? How about Pepsi Notes? American Express Blue for Music?
Once the hoopla has faded will Fidelity still be there standing with the rest of us to help fight this battle? And just what will they be doing? Donating instruments? Making Grants? How will their efforts differ from the great work of the many organizations that have been involved in this issue for years? Inquiring minds - well, at least one - want to know! Their website and press announcement is unclear.
To be clear - I think it is great that Sir Paul McCartney and Fidelity are adding their voices to those already out there speaking out about music education. Our only hope is these efforts will be long term commitments… not just another flash in the pan one hit wonder like the others that litter the music education landscape.
We have placed call to both Paul McCartney's representatives and Fidelity to help answer these questions. We will share with our readers what we learn!
Full News Release: Paul McCartney and Fidelity Investments Launch ''The Music Lives Foundation''; Music Icon and Investment Leader Team Up To Help Keep Music Education Alive in Schools
Posted by musicforall at 11:09 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 10, 2005
Music and Arts Education Enters Prop 74 debate in California
Who would have thought music education would enter the battle over prop 74 in California. Well it has. This is the Mercury News (San Jose) analysis of the ad:
_ Title: "Stop Playing."_ Length: 30 seconds.
_ Airing: Began Tuesday in major markets.
Dominant image: Stephanie Floyd-Smith, seventh-grade teacher, sitting in a classroom, speaking directly to the camera, cuts to parent Renee Smith, standing in front of a playground.
Script:
Teacher: "Gov., you've already broken your promises on education. Now you're sponsoring Proposition 74, a ballot measure that allows one principal to fire a teacher without giving a reason, or even a hearing, without doing anything to improve teacher training.
Parent: "Parents like me are voting no on Prop. 74 to send the governor a message: Stop playing politics with our schools, and get to work on smaller class sizes, up-to-date textbooks and restoring music and art classes, the things our kids really need."
Now... if only they woud get serious about "restoring music and art classes.
Full story:
AP Wire | 10/05/2005 | Governor's campaign asks stations to pull anti-74 ads
Posted by musicforall at 8:34 PM | TrackBack
October 4, 2005
Dr. Huckabee’s prescription for improving access to music and arts education in our schools
At the Arts Education Partnership Meeting in Charleston, SC this weekend attendees (including myself!) were treated to an extraordinary panel discussion. The moderator was Milt Goldberg who is known for his landmark report “A Nation at Risk.” The panelists, former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley and Arkansas Governor and Chair of both the Education Commission of the States and the National Governors Association Mike Huckabee.
The session was great from the standpoint of having two of today’s great education thinkers sharing the stage and focusing on the importance, role, and need to improve the status of arts education.
While there were some fairly predicable comments about the value of music and arts education there was one mild surprise: Secretary Riley stated he did support No Child Left Behind and the accountability measures but feels that it needs to be fully funded and adjusted to ensure we value all core subject.
Governor Huckabee stated that cutting arts programs under the guise of No Child Left Behind is “Just plain stupid!”
The biggest point from the session was from Governor Huckabee. He provided this prescription for what is ailing the arts education movement: If we want to truly change the landscape we need to “identify, recruit and elect to the state legislature people that support music and arts education.” Simple as that.
He stated: “A seat inside the legislature is better than 100 people on the steps.”
He’s right. Actually it is probably worth more. (Here in New Jersey we actually know how much a seat is worth … but I will save that for another time!)
That’s not to say that is will be easy. But, as the Governor said in Charleston “It’s Laboruos – Not Complicated.”
So therein lies the task. It will take hard work … but it is not complicated. The sooner we start, the sooner we will begin to see improvement. So get out your state legislative maps and lists and begin to build your relationships with the people who are there and identify some people who should be and them help get them elect to office. I have just spread out the New Jersey state electoral map on my floor.
And while we are talking about recruitment… what do you think about recruiting Governor Huckabee for a new seat … a seat in the White House …
Posted by musicforall at 10:56 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack