Foundations Supporting Music Education
The VH1 Save The Music Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of education in America’s public schools by restoring music programs in cities across the country, and raising public awareness about the importance of music participation for our nation’s youth.
VH1 Save The Music purchases new musical instruments to restore music education programs that have been cut due to budget reductions in the past or to save programs at risk of elimination due to lack of instruments. The Foundation also conducts awareness campaigns, musical instrument drives and fundraising events.
Music education programs have eroded in many cities and communities across the country over the past 30 years. VH1 is dedicated to turning back this trend to ensure all children have access to a quality education that includes music.
NEW YORK CITY GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT
PS 129, HARLEM
OCTOBER 12, 2006
On October 12, 2006 VH1 Save The Music announced this year’s grants of 1 Million Dollars worth of new musical instruments to the New York City Public Schools. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, Rapper and Actor Ice-T, VH1 General Manager Tom Calderone, Time Warner President Howard Szarfarc and President and CEO of New York City Big Events Maureen Reidy all gathered to make the announcement at 2004 grant recipient PS 129 in Harlem. A student band made up of students from PS 129 and the IS 278 performed for guests including Board Member John Sykes and students. All major network news stations were present to hear about the donation
MHOF founder and guardian angelMichael Kamen 1948 - 2003
Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation supports music education and its many benefits through the donation and repair of musical instruments to under-served schools, community music programs and individual students nationwide.
MHOF was inspired by the acclaimed motion picture Mr. Holland’s Opus, the story of the profound effect a dedicated music teacher had on generations of students. The film's composer, Michael Kamen, founded MHOF in 1996 as his commitment to the future of music education.
Across the nation, school and community music programs have been discontinued or severely diminished due to budget cuts. The positive effects of music education on children’s emotional and intellectual growth have been proven. MHOF sees the importance of music in the lives of all children, and seeks to keep music alive in our schools.
Through a process of application and review, programs are selected based on specific criteria. We first make repairs to damaged instruments, distribute refurbished instruments and then purchase new instruments.
MHOF PROGRAMS
MHOF delivers instruments to Sophie B. Wright School in New Orleans, LA
The Melody Program targets qualified K-12 school music programs. The
Special Projects Program targets community schools of the arts,after school music programs,
and youth orchestras. To date, MHOF has served 720 music programs and individuals nationwide.
New and refurbished instruments with a value of $4.2 million have been donated. Additionally,
MHOF has donated $1 million worth of instruments to 80 schools in six states that either
lost their inventory due to Katrina or who are serving displaced students. Madison High
School in Houston, TX received $25,000 worth of instruments through the generosity of
Fidelity Investments and its Inspire the Future program.
Donald Harrison
NBC News coverage of Donald Harrison and the Tipitina's Foundation - "Jazzman keeps students swinging". Jazz star and New Orleans native Donald Harrison is on a mission to make certain Hurricane Katrina doesn't silence the musical heartbeat of the young. Read text and watch video of NBC report from Rehema Ellis.
Tipitina's Foundation Commemorates Katrina One-Year Anniversary By Delivering Over Half Million Dollars Of New Instruments To New Orleans Schools
On Tuesday, August 29th, the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the Tipitina's Foundation hosted a ceremony at the legendary Tipitina's Uptown venue to hand over $500,000 of new instruments for eleven New Orleans school music programs. The ceremony featured performances by Ivan Neville and the Original Uptown Allstars with the Dirty Dozen Horns, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Rebirth Brass Band, The T.I.P. Intern Band with Donald Harrison, and The Soul Rebels. Click here to learn more, read press coverage and view a photo slideshow.
As part of its mission, the Tipitina's Foundation is committed to putting an instrument into the hands of every New Orleans student, and this year's recipients include every school that will have a functioning music program in place when they open in the fall.
The National Anthem Project, the campaign to restore America’s voice through music education!
A recent Harris poll found that two out of three American adults don’t know all of the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner" – and many don’t even know which song is our National Anthem or why it was written. But where did the people who do know the words say they learned "The Star-Spangled Banner" and other patriotic music? At school!
Sadly, budget cuts to school music programs in recent years have
led to dwindling opportunities for students to learn an important part of their
cultural heritage – patriotic music. The members of The National Association for Music Education (MENC)
– our nation’s music teachers – want all Americans to know our National Anthem
and to take pride in singing it together ... and for all children to have access
to music in school. We’ve launched the National Anthem Project to raise awareness
about the importance of supporting and funding school music programs.
Our Mission: The Music for All Foundation is a national non-profit organization committed to expanding the role of music and the arts in education, to heightening the public’s appreciation of the value of music and arts education, and to creating a positive environment for the arts through societal change.
The Music for All Foundation supports the breadth of music education. Working with the leading national authorities and non-profit organizations in each focus area, Music for All invests resources and personnel in:
- Projects that expand access to public school music and arts programs
- Scientific research that explores the benefits of music education
- Advocacy and public awareness efforts to support music and arts education
- Activities that encourage positive media coverage of the role music and arts education plays in society
