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Times are tough, and when it comes to making budget cuts at schools, music programs can be the first to go. Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, right? VH1 has been running a "Save The Music" campaign for a number of years, to stress the importance of keeping music education in the schools.
The music channel and DoSomething.org recently gave students the chance to win money for their school's music program. Thousands of youth from throughout the United States launched projects ranging from petition and poster campaigns to benefit concerts. Reggae rapper Sean Kingston helped launch the contest.
Five winners were recently chosen to receive a $1,000 grant, along with other prizes:
Jimmy Chen from Berkeley, California, who set up a booth to raise awareness and funds for music education. He sent letters to professors and students to make announcements about the importance of music education. He also posted hundreds of posters around his school.
"Music is a universal language, and it allows us to express ourselves," Chen says on the Do Something web site. "Not only is music super awesome to listen to, consistent research by really smart scientists show that children who study music or play an instrument do better in school, are more engaged in their communities, and have enhanced critical thinking and problem solving skills;"
Melissa Nelson from Cave Creek, Arizona, who planned and organized a benefit concert that raised $4,000 and donated all of it to the Cave Creek Unified School District's music program;
Amanda Davey from Monson, Massachusetts, who collected instruments and raised more than $1,000 for the Monson Music Department;
Roxanne Lora from Wayne, New Jersey, who started a petition in her school to save the job of her music teacher, whose position was threatened due to budget cuts;
Jennifer Weir from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who started a petition and made posters to get more resources for her community music program.
Since 1997, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation has provided $45 million worth of new musical instruments to more than 1,700 public schools in more than 100 cities around the country, impacting the lives of more than 1.4 million public school students, according to the foundation web site.
Save The Music is shooting to donate another $100 million in the coming decade.
Kids and parents: If your school is facing cuts, VH1 has a "Save The Music" kit online. Just because the contest is over doesn't mean you can't make a difference.
Via: FromTheTop.org.
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