2017 Music In Our Schools Tour to Visit Joliet Central High School March 17
This March-April Give a Note Foundation is hosting its fourth annual Music In Our Schools – Music Inspires Tour, and Joliet Central High School will be the fourth stop. This year along with Radio Disney and Radio Disney Country, the CMA Foundation is joining by matching grants to the six schools selected for the Tour – with a total of $30,000 to be presented to schools for their music programs.
After more than 60,000 views of the 12 semifinalist schools’ videos for the 2017 Music In Our Schools – Music Inspires Tour, during which viewers voted daily for their favorite schools last fall, Joliet Central High School in Joliet, IL, was among the six schools selected to be part of the Tour. Joliet Central High School will be presented a “big check” from Give a Note Foundation for $2,500, which will be matched by the CMA Foundation. The CMA Foundation has also named music educator Don Stinson a 2017 CMA Music Teacher of Excellence and will attend a celebratory dinner hosted by five-time CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town Wednesday, April 26, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, the home of CMA Music Festival’s Nightly Concerts.
At the March 17 Tour stop, Radio Disney artist Los 5 will join in celebrating the talented students with a performance at their school hosted by Radio Disney’s Candice. Joliet Central High School will also be presented an honorary Radio Disney Music Awards (RDMA) “ARDY” Statuette.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (January 13, 2017) Five-time CMA Vocal Group of the Year winner Little Big Town kick off the Music In Our Schools Tour by surprising Wadsworth High School Choir during a Disney Performing Arts music workshop at Saratoga Springs Resort Performance Hall at Walt Disney World.
“I am extremely grateful for the grants from Give a Note Foundation and the CMA Foundation,” said Joliet Director of Bands Don Stinson. “The reality at Joliet Central is that more than 70 percent of the students in our band program do not own or cannot rent their own instrument. Our administration believe in and support our music programs, and work hard to provide equipment, materials and opportunities for our student groups. The reality is that band programs can be costly for schools and individual students, and the size of our school and our recent band program growth requires additional support.”
“This music program has not only shown me how to become a well-trained musician, but has also built my character, bettered my work ethic, and pushed me to succeed in being a supportive and helpful person in the community.”
Cristian Torres is a senior at Joliet Central High School and a percussionist in the band. Cristian plans to become a music educator as well. “This music program has not only shown me how to become a well-trained musician, but has also built my character, bettered my work ethic, and pushed me to succeed in being a supportive and helpful person in the community,” said Cristian, who calls the music program at Joliet his “second home.”
“The band program is a vital component of our school culture,” adds Joliet Central Principal Shad Hallihan. “Through their performances at assemblies, sporting events, parades, and school and community concerts, the band program is a source of pride for our school and community. The additional resources and opportunities that these grants provide will allow this fantastic program to have an even greater impact.”
Following are the dates and schools for the 2017 Music In Our Schools Tour, including the schools of two Tri-M® Music Honor Society chapters and the colleges/universities of two collegiate NAfME chapters that raised the most donations for Give a Note during the fall’s “Music Ed Matters” Chapter Challenge October 1-December 31:
- March 3: University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO (Collegiate winner)
- March 10: Collinsville High School, Collinsville, IL (Tri-M winner)
- March 15: Salina South Middle School, Salina, KS
- March 17: Joliet Central High School, Joliet, IL
- March 24: Ramona High School, Riverside, CA
- March 29: Wenatchee High School, Wenatchee, WA
- April 5: James Otis Elementary, Boston, MA
- April 6: Marblehead High School, Marblehead, MA (Tri-M winner)
- April 7: Rhode Island College, Providence, RI (Collegiate winner)
- April 21: Tar River Elementary, Franklinton, NC
Give a Note offers special thanks to Jersey Mike’s for providing catering for the tour stop at Joliet Central High School.
To learn more about Give a Note Foundation and the Music In Our Schools Tour, visit www.giveanote.org and follow the hashtag #MusicInspires. Be sure to follow the Tour on Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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Media contacts:
For Give a Note Foundation:
Lindsay Sheldon
LindsayS@giveanote.org
(703) 860-4000 ext. 230
For the CMA Foundation:
Courtney Beebe
cbeebe@CMAworld.com
615-244-2840
About the Give a Note Foundation
About the CMA Foundation: CMA created the nonprofit 501(c)(3) CMA Foundation in 2011. Guided by the generosity of the Country Music community, the CMA Foundation focuses on improving and sustaining music education programs everywhere while supporting worthwhile causes important to the Country Music Association. In 2017, the CMA Foundation has earmarked a record $3.1 million to 44 in- and after-school music education programs across the country, bringing the Foundation’s total contributions to date to $17.5 million.
