BY RICHARD J. WENNING
We”™ve all read about the dramatic cuts in music and arts education budgets across the country. At BeFoundation, we felt that these cuts not only hurt students but also would affect the trajectory of our nation. So we established SpreadMusicNow to fund high-quality, individualized music instruction for underserved youth.
SpreadMusicNow was founded on the simple premise that music education can dramatically expand a child”™s potential. We knew at the time that we were on to something, but we couldn”™t have envisioned how far we would come in just under a year.
Since our inception, we”™ve:
∙ presented $255,000 in grants for arts education serving some 15,000 children and youth in Connecticut across modern band, jazz, and classical genres; and
∙ raised more than $30,000 from individual donors and provided 99 cents on the dollar to music education nonprofits throughout Connecticut thanks to our partnership with Fairfield County”™s Community Foundation.
In a short time, we”™ve seen that a grassroots effort combined with strong social media engagement can help grow philanthropic backing for music and arts education. Our individual donors are building a network of support; coupled with foundation and corporate funding, we are creating a movement!
Our first year will culminate in a benefit concert for music education May 30 at the Fairfield Theater Company. Titled “A Night at Studio 54,” proceeds from the event, along with funds raised through an associated crowdfunding campaign, will go to Connecticut-based music education organizations. We”™re aiming to raise more than $100,000.
In the next few months, we will work collectively with our arts education and philanthropic partners to pool our resources and support programs and services to build capacity and reach more students. We will engage with more school districts to strengthen arts education offerings and work with state leaders to support a statewide initiative to close the gap in access to quality arts education.
We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of interest among our ever-growing number of followers and donors. There”™s a lot of work to be done, but with growing momentum and the support of our loyal base, we”™re determined to see that students receive the music education that”™s critical to their future success.
Learn more at SpreadMusicNow.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter, @spreadmusicnow.
Richard J. Wenning is director of SpreadMusicNow and executive director of BeFoundation, a member of the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.
