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September 28, 2006
New $50M arts program will reach every San Francisco student
First the state of California... now we have San Francisco investing heavily to provide arts education to every child. This is a trend we like!
Visual, performing arts to be reborn in schools as city frees funding - Every public student to benefit from comprehensive program after years of spotty offeringsSan Francisco educators will raise the curtain today on a new, multimillion-dollar plan to bring visual and performing arts back into every city school beginning this year.
The new Arts Education Master Plan has been two years in the making -- but has been percolating for more than 25 years in the minds of arts educators who saw their programs dry up in the wake of Proposition 13, passed in 1978.With city money available at last, the new plan is intended to transform the district's spotty arts offerings into a creative program available to every student in every school.
"This is life and death -- the difference between hope and no hope," said the district's artistic director, Susan Stauter, who helped develop the plan. "It's about equity. Every child -- no matter which school they attend, which neighborhood they live in, or how active their parents are -- needs their creative voice nurtured and developed."
The Master Plan makes San Francisco a rarity among California school districts, few of which have comprehensive arts programs for their students. Parent Anitra Baker, who lives in the city's Fillmore neighborhood, is already questioning her decision to place four children in private school this
year.
"If they brought the arts program back into a school in my community, most definitely, I would enroll them back into the school -- and I'd help out with the arts program as best as I could," said Baker, who pulled her children out of public school after officials closed John Swett Elementary in June.
Baker may need to pay a visit to the enrollment office soon because Interim Superintendent Gwen Chan, Mayor Gavin Newsom and Stauter -- a former director of the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco -- will officially announce today that arts are back.
For the last two years, Stauter joined other arts educators, school principals, community leaders, foundation executives and city officials in the pleasurable task of laying out a comprehensive plan for how the school district should spend more than $50 million that will be available -- just for the
arts -- through 2014.The money will come from the 2004 voter-approved Proposition H, which gives the arts $2.2 million this year, $3.3 million next year, $5 million the year after that, and $6.6 million each year from 2009 to 2014.
And that's just the city-funded portion. For the first time, the state also will hand out arts money -- $605 million in arts education funds during 2006-07 -- and $105 million annually in subsequent years."I'm rich!" said 16-year-old Julie Caccavo, a junior at Balboa High, who had expressed a teenager's typical late-afternoon lament just a few moments earlier, "I'm tired."
But Julie, a self-described theater freak who is enrolled in her school's visual and performing arts concentration, perked up when she heard that every city high school will receive quadruple the amount of money they got last year from the arts: $20 per student, up from $5. The funding will increase in future
years, according to the plan. "I personally adore art," she said. "I love it. It makes me happy and calms me down."Like Balboa, many city schools already have some art programs, but not all do. Many have had to pay for their programs through the PTA, whose budgets are only as rich as the parents are generous.
Before Prop. H, the arts landscape was pretty bleak. The school district provided no funding for art supplies and materials, although most middle and high schools found a way to offer some art and music classes. City Hall gave $23 per student for these things -- but only in elementary schools. Yet, no elementary school had drama or dance, and only designated schools with needy populations got music in grades four and five.
Now, all that will change.
Under the new Arts Education Master Plan, beginning this year, every school will have an arts coordinator as the point person for the program. Every school will have a budget to use for art supplies, music, dance, teachers, professional development or visiting artists.
First the state of California... now we have San Francisco investing heavily to provide arts education to every child. This is a trend we like!
Visual, performing arts to be reborn in schools as city frees funding - Every public student to benefit from comprehensive program after years of spotty offeringsSan Francisco educators will raise the curtain today on a new, multimillion-dollar plan to bring visual and performing arts back into every city school beginning this year.
Stauter said creativity in school has been stifled since the 2002 implementation of No Child Left Behind, the federal education act that requires all public schools to continuously raise test scores in reading and math.
"We live in a time of testing, when education is too often reduced to simple right and wrong answer," she said. "Van Gogh and Picasso were not concerned with right and wrong."The goal of the new plan is to nurture the creative voices of the children of San Francisco at a time when it's never been more important."
Posted by musicforall at 3:52 PM
September 23, 2006
Music Community Loses Another Giant
The music community loses another warrior for music and music education. And Music for All loses another friend.
Musical Instrument Industry Mourns the Passing of Fender's Legendary William 'Bill' Schultz
William "Bill" Schultz, the man best known for his legendary business turnaround of the iconic Fender(R) brand name, passed away peacefully on Thursday, Sept. 21, at his Scottsdale, Ariz., home in the presence of his loving family.
In 1985, Schultz led an employee leveraged buyout of Fender Musical Instruments from then-owner CBS Inc. The company, whose products include the Stratocaster(R), Telecaster(R) and Precision Bass(R) guitars that have been played by musicians from around the world for more than 60 years, was in steady decline under CBS management.Schultz and his team set out to restore the company's former glory, and in the 20 years under his direction, they had taken it from a small general office and warehouse in Brea, Calif., to its current position as the global industry leader, with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in two countries and offices around the world. Schultz also served as chairman of the board for Fender Musical Instruments Corp. ("FMIC"). In the days to come, the FMIC board of directors will name a successor.
Said William Mendello, the current CEO of Fender and long-time friend of Schultz, "It is hard to imagine where Fender would be without the vision, passion and belief of Bill Schultz. He led one of the greatest turnarounds in American business history, and I will always be inspired by his leadership, his role as a guiding force in the success of Fender, and his unwavering friendship throughout the years."
Musical Instrument Industry Mourns the Passing of Fender's Legendary William 'Bill' Schultz
Posted by musicforall at 8:57 PM
September 20, 2006
MUSIC FOR ALL FOUNDATION AND BANDS OF AMERICA UNITE AND FORM MUSIC FOR ALL, INC.
(From our announcement released today t the media)
—Organization to Have Broader Reach, Deeper Impact on Music Education—
INDIANAPOLIS—Bands of America and the Music for All Foundation today announce the merger of the two groups to create Music for All, Inc., one of the largest and most influential national music education organizations in support of active music making. The merger became effective September 14, 2006.
Recognized leaders in their fields, Bands of America (BOA) and its Orchestra America division have a 31-year heritage in providing spectacular educational experiences for instrumental music programs and students. The Music for All Foundation (MFA), one of the nation’s leading music and arts education research, public policy and advocacy organization, was created to address the growing concern that public policies have created barriers for many schools and communities to provide music and arts programs as a part of a basic education for all children. Together they join forces to create, provide, and expand upon positively life-changing experiences through music at all levels, regardless of experience.
The two organizations have merged Board of Directors to serve as the governing body of Music for All, Inc., with members of both organizations remaining active. Scott McCormick will serve as President and CEO, Robert Morrison becomes chairman emeritus and will serve as Executive Vice President, Public Affairs and Eric Martin will serve as Executive Vice President and COO. Previously, Scott McCormick was President of Bands of America, and Robert Morrison was the founder and Chairman of the Music for All Foundation.
“The mission and vision of both Bands of America and the Music for All Foundation were very much in sync, and the programs of both organizations will only serve to complement each other,” states Scott McCormick. “Music for All’s ground-breaking advocacy efforts fit naturally with BOA’s position as the leading provider of musical events and educational activities.”
Music for All, Inc. is unique in that it combines programming at a national level with awareness campaigns, research and advocacy. Its programming will provide ready-made research and advocacy tools, as well as performance platforms to promote access to music and music education for all, and will provide the preeminent showcases for those results. The organization will reach a vast number of people; each year, more than 300,000 people attend their events, 100,000 teens participate, 100,000 people subscribe to online services, and one million are impacted by their research and public affairs initiative.
“The recognized strengths of both BOA and MFA are combined to position the new organization in achieving greater success as a leader in ensuring that music truly becomes available to all,” adds Robert Morrison. “Bands of America has a track record of producing best-of-class events that are passionately supported by students, parents, teachers and communities.”
All current Bands of America and Music for All activities will continue as planned, and move toward expanding to activities that reach beyond the classroom. The new organization has joined with NAMM, the International Music Products Association, to sponsor the New York premiere of the upcoming HBO documentary “The Music in Me” at Carnegie Hall on October 6, with the network debut on HBO October 7.
Music for All, Inc. has recently completed the New Jersey Visual and Performing Arts Education Survey, the first state level census of arts education at the school building level. This ground-breaking program is designed for use in other states and communities as a national model. The results will be released in the fall. And upcoming band activities include Regional Championships across the country, culminating in the Grand Nationals in Indianapolis this November.
Very active at a national, state and local level, Music for All, Inc. is a member of SupportMusic.com, and will work together to gather and share quantifiable research and resources for music and arts advocates across the country.
Music for All, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, will be headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana while the Public Affairs and Research offices will be in Warren, New Jersey.
Posted by musicforall at 4:41 PM | Comments (0)
Merger: What People are Saying
Here are some of the comments we are receiving about the merger:
“The merger of Music for All and Bands of America is a highly significant development for music education in America,” notes Sir Ken Robinson, well-known author and one of the world’s foremost authorities on creativity. “I know, through my own work and collaboration with Music for All, just what a powerful force it has become for music in schools. Under the driving leadership of Bob Morrison, it has combined vision and passion with a hard headed approach to effective research and informed advocacy. Bands of America has a distinguished record in supporting and promoting music practice throughout the United States. The merging of these two proven agencies into a single united force is very good news for students, educators and musicians across the country and for education as a whole.”
“In spite of most people instinctively knowing the benefits of music, far too often music programs are the first to be cut when schools have budget problems,” notes Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, past chairman and current board member of the National Governor’s Association and the Education Commission of the States. “That’s why I am excited that Music for All and Bands of America have united under the label Music for All, Inc. The merger of these two outstanding organizations will create one of the largest organizations in America engaged in making music,” adds Huckabee, a long time music and arts education champion. “Music for All, Inc. will provide a mechanism to connect those who develop policy with those who will implement that policy on a large scale. With the outreach capabilities of this new ‘policy meets practice’ organization, music programs should never again be on the chopping blocks in our schools.”
“We have worked closely with both organizations in the past,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM, the International Music Products Association, “and we fully support this merger and the strong leadership of Scott McCormick and Bob Morrison.”
Posted by musicforall at 4:39 PM | Comments (0)
September 9, 2006
The Music in Us All
The calendar has turned to a new school year. All of us have dreams, hopes, and expectations for our programs. All of us look to provide inspiration to our students in the coming year. With that in mind I am offering the following as inspiration to each of you.
On Saturday October 7 at 7 PM (eastern time), HBO will premiere the documentary The Music in Me. This is the first in a series of specials that will premiere over the next twelve months. Don’t miss it! That’s my point. Don’t miss this show. If you want to know why… read on.
Leslie Stifelman, the executive producer of The Music in Me and the musical director for Chicago on Broadway recently invited me to a screening of this show. From the very start I was captivated. There were times I caught myself with my mouth wide open. It was without question the most inspiring program (television, film or radio) focusing on music and kids that I have ever seen (and I have seen most of them). It was so moving that I immediately called my good friend and partner in advocacy NAMM’s Mary Luehrsen insisting that she see the show. Her response was the same as mine.
I share these reactions with you because I know that no matter how eloquent I attempt to be with the next few paragraphs I will not do this show proper justice. Here goes:
The premise is simple: HBO asked young musicians from all corners of the US to send in videotapes of the music they play. The joyful result is the HBO half-hour special The Music In Me, a documentary which profiles six young musicians, aged 7 to 11, each from a different musical and cultural tradition. What all six of these children share is talent, and a love of music that gives shape and meaning to their lives.
What struck me most was the diversity of musical styles, social circumstances and cultural influences. The children featured in this program come from all over America and include a 7-year-old African-American zydeco accordion player, a 10-year-old Puerto-Rican jazz flutist, and an accomplished 11-year-old classical cellist – amongst many others. These uplifting stories of young musicians compel us to reflect on the power of music in all our lives and reinforce for me the work we all do everyday to educate, enlighten and inspire young people through music.
With their virtuosic and distinctive performances of both classics and lesser-known tunes representing many genres of music from classical to jazz to a variety of root music, the featured young musicians open their hearts and share their passion for living musical lives. During this show you will meet:
• Nathan, age 11, from Hillsborough, CA: a classical cellist who describes the concepts and emotions that inform his artistic interpretation of “The Swan” by Camille Saint-Saens. His performance even made a cynical old drummer (me) cry!• Elena, age 10, from Berkeley, CA: an accomplished flutist with a penchant for Latin Jazz that connects her to a unique Latin community.
• Guyland, age 7, from Frilot Cove, LA: a zydeco accordion player who carries on the tradition of indigenous music passed down to him in his dreams by his great grandpapa
• Una, age 11, from Portland, OR: a singer-songwriter and rock guitarist who believes music has the power to influence people, performing her own composition entitled “Global Warming”
• Tyler, age 10, from Virginia Beach, VA: a trumpet player who performs the patriotic tunes of George M. Cohan with his younger siblings (age 8 and 5) by day … By night, Tyler jams on the street with a sophisticated jazz combo and blows the crowd away
• Qaasim, age 9, from Brooklyn, NY: a percussionist whose favorite drum is the djembe, but who can actually make music with anything, and creates a symphony of percussive sounds on the streets of New York City
Interspersed between the featured artists are glimpses of other children whose home video clips capture their eclectic and engaging musical personalities. These include:
• TJ, age 11, from Omaha, NE, who loves his music so much that he wakes up early just so he can touch his guitar• Aaron, age 10, from Scarsdale, NY, whose favorite kind of music, without a doubt, is klezmer music.
• Thalen, age 9, from Kaneohe, HI, a ukulele whiz
• John, age 12, from Carrollton, TX, who plays chromatic harmonica with the family trio
• Sydney, age 10, from Chicago, IL, whose favorite music is pop and whose favorite sounds are the minor chords
• Brock, age 8, from Pearl City, HI, who bangs on a taiko drum (it’s bigger than him)
• Macyn, age 10, from Waterford, WI, who presents a classic blues tune on her banjo from the middle of her family’s soybean fields
The Music In Me is a compelling mix of featured performances and home video clips. It is stunning for the way it opens our eyes to the surprising range of musical styles that children study and embrace across the country. The program provides a fresh look at the many ways music can have a vital, profound impact on young lives, and reminds us that every child is on a journey towards finding his or her own musical pathway.The lesson for me was less of a lesson and more of a reminder. Our children have music in them. It is bursting to find its way out. It also provides us all with a gentle nudge of the breadth of music making kids across this nation are involved with. This is something the music education community has already begun to reflect on with the diversification of course offerings for students. The Music in Me makes the clear case that this is a pathway we should all embrace.
Executive Producer Leslie Stifelman, HBO, NAMM the International Music Products Association and Music for All have joined forces so we may use this documentary as an opportunity to raise awareness about the true power of music in the lives of our children.. By the time you read this we will already have materials available for you to use in your classroom and community because of the generous support of NAMM. Go to: http://music-for-all.org/musicinme.html or NAMM.com to learn more. To help keep music education strong in your community, go to http://www.supportmusic.com
As always, I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity so we can showcase and unleash the music in us all!
Credits: The Music In Me is produced by Diane Kolyer, whose HBO credits include the Emmy Award-winning Happy To Be Nappy and Other Stories of Me, the Emmy-nominated Rosie O’Donnell’s Kids are Punny and the interstitial series My Favorite Book. The show’s executive producer Leslie Stifelman is currently Music Director for the Tony and Grammy award winning Broadway hit musical CHICAGO. She is also the creative force behind Symfunny Toons inc., a company dedicated to the development of television and interactive products for children to learn about music. The show’s co-producer is Beth Aala, whose HBO credits include I Have Tourette’s But Tourette’s Doesn’t Have Me. Feature segments presented in The Music In Me are directed by Mark Benjamin, Ellen Goosenberg Kent, Diane Koyler, Mark Mannucci, and Amy Schatz. Supervising producer, Dolores Morris; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.
Posted by musicforall at 8:20 PM | Comments (0)