Doing Good: CMA Foundation Drums Up Support for Schools

THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION DRUMS UP SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAMS

WE’VE ALL HEARD THAT “MUSIC IS THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE.” From the memories a song can carry into our minds, to the documented healing a melody can bring to pain and brain injuries, music touches us like nothing else can. Research shows that when music is part of a child’s education, it increases the child’s ability to stick with their studies and thrive in the classroom. Recent statistics from The Children’s Music Workshop show that schools with music programs have an estimated 90 percent graduation rate and a 94 percent attendance rate compared to schools without music education, which average 73 percent graduation and 85 percent attendance.

“Every child in this country deserves to have access and opportunity to participate in high-quality music education.

The folks at the Country Music Association recognize the power of music. And when they wondered how they could use their infl uence to better the world, the CMA decided to focus on schools that have suff ered cuts to arts programs, and raise awareness for how those cuts have impacted school music programs all across the country. In 2006, the CMA Foundation began to invest in music education, with the overwhelming support of artists and industry professionals who had fi rsthand knowledge of what it was like to fall in love with music in the classroom.

Andrew Jackson Elementary Choir performs during the 2019 CMA Music Festival in downtown Nashville. Photo Credit John Russell and CMA.

“We believe every child in this country deserves to have access and opportunity to participate in highquality music education,” says Tiff any Kearns, the executive director of the CMA Foundation. “Everyone remembers what it was like the fi rst time they picked up an instrument, or the fi rst time that they walked the halls and didn’t know their way, but found their way through music.”

million has been pumped back into music and arts education in schools across the country. The CMA Foundation recognizes that investing directly into music teachers has a huge impact on the classroom as well. In that spirit, they launched a Music Teachers of Excellence program that supports music education teachers who strive to equip their kids with a love of the arts. Each MTOE Award recipient gets $5,000 to split between supporting their classroom and their own personal needs. “Sometimes as teachers, we can feel isolated, like the outside world doesn’t know or appreciate what we do,” says music instructor Sherie Grossman, a recent MTOE recipient from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. “CMA saw me, recognized me, and appreciated me! With the money from their generous donation, I was able to repair instruments, purchase new bows for my program, and provide more supplies for my students to use.”

To fi nd out how you can support music education in your area through the CMA Foundation, visit CMAFoundation.org.

Tiff any Kerns, CMA Foundation Executive Director

Working together with country music artists, music labels, and music industry professionals, the CMA Music Festival, held every summer in Nashville, has become the biggest fundraising conduit for the foundation’s important eff orts. As a result, over $27

Music Teachers of Excellence hosted by Dierks Bentley. Photo Credit: Kayla Schoen and CMA.

Student Choir at the Music Teachers of Excellence. Photo Credit: Hunter Berry and CMA.