2017 Music In Our Schools – Music Inspires Tour Begins in March
As demonstrated in this year’s music awards shows, music has a significant impact on artists and listeners—and that impact began in a music classroom. For that reason, Give a Note is embarking on the fourth annual Music In Our Schools – Music Inspires Tour this March and April, along with Radio Disney, Radio Disney Country, and the CMA Foundation.
As Karen Fairchild of five-time CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town put it at the kickoff of the Tour this past January, “Music education is a right of every student. It helps them develop creativity and self-expression. It builds skills like collaboration and critical thinking that help them succeed in life. For me, my music teacher in high school pushed me out on stage for the very first time to sing a solo, and it changed my life. So I’m very grateful for music education and the power that it had on my career.” Fairchild also serves on the CMA Foundation Board of Directors.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (January 13, 2017) Students from Ohio Wadsworth High School choir group, pose with five-time CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town and Mickey Mouse as they kick off Music In Our School Tour at Disney. (L-R) Jane Mell Balek, Give a Note CEO, Karen Fairchild, Jimi Westbrook, Terry Dola, Disney Performing Arts vice president, Kalyn Davis school choir director, Philip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, Sarah Trahern, CMA CEO and Radio Disney Country correspondent, Savannah Keyes. (far right)
This spring, Give a Note will present $15,000 in grants to six schools, which the CMA Foundation will match. Each school that was selected during the voting period last fall 2016 will also enjoy a celebration concert with a Radio Disney or Radio Disney Country artist and on-air personality.
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 #MusicEdMatters 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
“This is such an exciting time to celebrate music education in schools across the country,” said Beth Slusher, Give a Note President and Board Chair. “Each year, we see the positive role that music plays in the lives of all students, and to shine a spotlight on these students and their teachers means so much. Give a Note is grateful to the artists who join in supporting music education each year, and we cannot wait to celebrate with all these amazing students and teachers during this year’s Music In Our Schools Tour.”
“Give a Note is grateful to the artists who join in supporting music education each year, and we cannot wait to celebrate with all these amazing students and teachers during this year’s Music In Our Schools Tour.”
“It has been so exciting to see the growth and reach of the Music In Our Schools Tour,” said Phil Guerini, Vice President, Music Strategy, Disney Channels Worldwide and General Manager, Radio Disney Network. “We’re thrilled to help celebrate these talented students and their dedicated music educators, and we value our role in helping Give a Note offer even more music education opportunities in schools across the country.”
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.
###
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 Give a Note Foundation: Since 2011, Give a Note Foundation has conducted national awareness campaigns and raised funds to support and strengthen music education programs across the U.S. The programs have reached millions of parents and students and provided more than $1 million in direct grants to schools. Learn more about Give a Note Foundation at www.giveanote.org. Help give the gift of music! Text “MusicEd GNF” to 20222 to donate $10! Message & Data Rates May Apply. Details: https://www.giveanote.org/giving/. You can follow Give a Note on Twitter www.twitter.com/giveanote, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/giveanote.
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.
