NEW YORK, NY, Wednesday, March 3 2004 – Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC), a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to the education, performance and broadcast of jazz music, has joined the Music Education Coalition in its massive initiative to help parents and educators appeal to school boards and other decision-makers to keep music in schools. The two organizations will link their websites, www.jazzatlincolncenter.org and www.SupportMusic.com, to share information and combat America's cultural deficit.
“Too often, music programs are the first to be sacrificed when schools face budget cuts," said Wynton Marsalis, Artistic Director, JALC. “In light of many studies proving that music education leads to better performance in math, science, and on SAT and other standardized tests, we need to fight back on every level when school music programs are threatened. We need to portray who we are as Americans to the world through our cultural riches, including our music. SupportMusic.com provides the information needed to act intelligently and effectively and Jazz at Lincoln Center is proud to join the effort."
SupportMusic.com was created by the Music Education Coalition to provide information and resources to parents and educators who recognize the importance of music education but who need assistance convincing school boards and other decision-makers to keep music available in schools. Dedicated to inspiring action to support music education, the goal of SupportMusic.com is to make decision-makers aware of the critical role music education has in children overall activities, both in and out of school.
JALC has reached more than 1 million students and educators with educational appreciation and performance programs, including the newly launched www.jazzforyoungpeople.com companion website to the Jazz for Young People™ Curriculum. Recently, through its education initiative, JALC explored the impact of jazz education on the intellectual and social development of young people during “Jazz and American Democracy," a panel discussion that The New York Times called “a coup in the name of intellectualism." The panel including Artistic Director, Wynton Marsalis, The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States, professors and a music educator, made indelible connections between the study of jazz and early brain development. In addition, Marsalis' speech at the National Press Club drew attention to the dire need for Americans to realize the importance of music education to accurately portray our culture to the international community. Transcripts and video excerpts of “Jazz and American Democracy" and the National Press Club speech are available online at www.jazzatlincolncenter.org/symposium/symposium.html.
Because of the positive impact of music education, the federal government named music a “core academic subject" alongside reading, writing and arithmetic in the No Child Left Behind Act (the controlling Federal education legislation). At the same time, thousands of school boards across the country are implementing unprecedented and massive budget cutbacks. Parents and other interested community members know from experience that music is all too often the first to be sacrificed. At current levels, about 60 percent of the children in grades K through 12 may be deprived of a meaningful music education. Therefore, it is critical for parents and educators to know how to fight back and restore and maintain school music programs. www.supportmusic.com provides the resources needed to keep music in schools.
“Too often, music programs are the first to be sacrificed when schools face budget cuts," said Wynton Marsalis, Artistic Director, JALC. “In light of many studies proving that music education leads to better performance in math, science, and on SAT and other standardized tests, we need to fight back on every level when school music programs are threatened. We need to portray who we are as Americans to the world through our cultural riches, including our music. SupportMusic.com provides the information needed to act intelligently and effectively and Jazz at Lincoln Center is proud to join the effort."
SupportMusic.com was created by the Music Education Coalition to provide information and resources to parents and educators who recognize the importance of music education but who need assistance convincing school boards and other decision-makers to keep music available in schools. Dedicated to inspiring action to support music education, the goal of SupportMusic.com is to make decision-makers aware of the critical role music education has in children overall activities, both in and out of school.
JALC has reached more than 1 million students and educators with educational appreciation and performance programs, including the newly launched www.jazzforyoungpeople.com companion website to the Jazz for Young People™ Curriculum. Recently, through its education initiative, JALC explored the impact of jazz education on the intellectual and social development of young people during “Jazz and American Democracy," a panel discussion that The New York Times called “a coup in the name of intellectualism." The panel including Artistic Director, Wynton Marsalis, The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States, professors and a music educator, made indelible connections between the study of jazz and early brain development. In addition, Marsalis' speech at the National Press Club drew attention to the dire need for Americans to realize the importance of music education to accurately portray our culture to the international community. Transcripts and video excerpts of “Jazz and American Democracy" and the National Press Club speech are available online at www.jazzatlincolncenter.org/symposium/symposium.html.
Because of the positive impact of music education, the federal government named music a “core academic subject" alongside reading, writing and arithmetic in the No Child Left Behind Act (the controlling Federal education legislation). At the same time, thousands of school boards across the country are implementing unprecedented and massive budget cutbacks. Parents and other interested community members know from experience that music is all too often the first to be sacrificed. At current levels, about 60 percent of the children in grades K through 12 may be deprived of a meaningful music education. Therefore, it is critical for parents and educators to know how to fight back and restore and maintain school music programs. www.supportmusic.com provides the resources needed to keep music in schools.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
