Fifteen middle- and high-school students from Philadelphia embarked this morning on a musical tour to the White House to hear top country music artists and participate in a song writing workshop hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama.
The students from five middle schools and five high schools will hear performances by country music stars Charley Pride, Brad Paisley and Alison Krause and Union Station this afternoon before participating in the one hour song-writing workshop.
For Shanice Mitchell, 16, a junior at Girls High School who plays the violin and saxaphone, the trip is an opportunity to meet Michelle Obama and to focus on her music.
“I'm looking forward to experiencing Washington and how the First Family is living and how they are starting to change America and starting to care about arts in schools," Mitchell said before boarding the bus with the other students at Benjamin Franklin High School on North Broad Street.
Andrew Lawson, 17, a senior at Girard Academy Music Program, said he plans to use the trip to sharpen his skills.
“I want to be a vocalist and I am somewhat into poetry and I also write jazz music," said Andrew, who plays enor and soprano saxaphones, flute, bass clarinet and clarinet. “So what I what I want to gain from this experience is applying lyrics to the arrangements and standards that I create. When you associate words to music you get more expression out of it."
The students are among 120 from around the country participating in the White House music education and performance series.
Dennis Creedon, director of arts education for the Philadelphia schools, said the program is a new initiative by the Obama administration to use musicians who come to the White House in an educational setting.
“This will be the first time they are inviting students to come and actually meet with the artists who are at the top of the country field," said Creedon.
The First Lady previously sponsored a jazz forum.
Creedon said the Philadelphia students were invited to the White House program by the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education in public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music education.
The foundation has donated $300,000 per year for the last five years for the purchase of new musical instruments for Philadelphia schools, Creedon said. The money has been used to purchase more than 2,000 instruments since 2004.
In Philadelphia, the money from the VH1 program is aimed at building bands and orchestras throughout middle and high schools.
“We divide the schools up so that one school will get a string orchestra and another school will get a band. We try to position them in regions so that when they get into high school these students are ready then to form orchestras," Creedon said.
Since 1997, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation has provided $43 million worth of new musical instruments to children around the country, officials said.
The students attending the White House program are: Nicholas Arbasak, Shawmont Elementary; Kennech Amilicar, Central High School; Erin Anderson, Longstreth Elementary; Yang Bao, Girard Academic Music Program High School; Jessica Cooper, Girls High School; Sarah Grafenstein, Creative and Performing Arts High School; Andrew Lawson, Girard Academic Music Program High School; Aphten Milburn-Dobson, Creative and Performing Arts High School; Shanice Mitchell, Girls High School; Aja Morris, Greenfield Elementary; Veronique Myers, Central High School; Lothy Petit-Frere, Creative and Performing Arts High School; Rachel Randolph, Girard Academic Music Program High School; Timothy Strecker, Northeast High School; and Jenny Tang, Conwell Middle School.
The students from five middle schools and five high schools will hear performances by country music stars Charley Pride, Brad Paisley and Alison Krause and Union Station this afternoon before participating in the one hour song-writing workshop.
For Shanice Mitchell, 16, a junior at Girls High School who plays the violin and saxaphone, the trip is an opportunity to meet Michelle Obama and to focus on her music.
“I'm looking forward to experiencing Washington and how the First Family is living and how they are starting to change America and starting to care about arts in schools," Mitchell said before boarding the bus with the other students at Benjamin Franklin High School on North Broad Street.
Andrew Lawson, 17, a senior at Girard Academy Music Program, said he plans to use the trip to sharpen his skills.
“I want to be a vocalist and I am somewhat into poetry and I also write jazz music," said Andrew, who plays enor and soprano saxaphones, flute, bass clarinet and clarinet. “So what I what I want to gain from this experience is applying lyrics to the arrangements and standards that I create. When you associate words to music you get more expression out of it."
The students are among 120 from around the country participating in the White House music education and performance series.
Dennis Creedon, director of arts education for the Philadelphia schools, said the program is a new initiative by the Obama administration to use musicians who come to the White House in an educational setting.
“This will be the first time they are inviting students to come and actually meet with the artists who are at the top of the country field," said Creedon.
The First Lady previously sponsored a jazz forum.
Creedon said the Philadelphia students were invited to the White House program by the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education in public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music education.
The foundation has donated $300,000 per year for the last five years for the purchase of new musical instruments for Philadelphia schools, Creedon said. The money has been used to purchase more than 2,000 instruments since 2004.
In Philadelphia, the money from the VH1 program is aimed at building bands and orchestras throughout middle and high schools.
“We divide the schools up so that one school will get a string orchestra and another school will get a band. We try to position them in regions so that when they get into high school these students are ready then to form orchestras," Creedon said.
Since 1997, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation has provided $43 million worth of new musical instruments to children around the country, officials said.
The students attending the White House program are: Nicholas Arbasak, Shawmont Elementary; Kennech Amilicar, Central High School; Erin Anderson, Longstreth Elementary; Yang Bao, Girard Academic Music Program High School; Jessica Cooper, Girls High School; Sarah Grafenstein, Creative and Performing Arts High School; Andrew Lawson, Girard Academic Music Program High School; Aphten Milburn-Dobson, Creative and Performing Arts High School; Shanice Mitchell, Girls High School; Aja Morris, Greenfield Elementary; Veronique Myers, Central High School; Lothy Petit-Frere, Creative and Performing Arts High School; Rachel Randolph, Girard Academic Music Program High School; Timothy Strecker, Northeast High School; and Jenny Tang, Conwell Middle School.
