TPAC education programs included in CMA Foundation grants
Disney Musicals in Schools
We are so proud and grateful to be included as one of 44 recipients of the 2017 CMA Country Music Association Foundation’s annual donation to support music education programs. The record-setting $3.1 million, issues this year thanks to the generosity of Country artists and fans who attend the annual CMA Music Festival, was announced last week on Giving Tuesday. The grants bring CMA’s total contributions since 2006 to more than $17.5 million.
“If it weren’t for the artists, who all perform for free during CMA Music Festival, and the thousands of fans who support the event each year, these donations would not be possible,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “The CMA Foundation donates to causes that are important to our community, but every dollar is given on behalf of the artists and fans that support Music Fest each June.”
According to the press release, “Studies show students who participate in the arts are more likely to graduate, have better attendance rates, and higher GPAs than students not enrolled in arts classes. The CMA Foundation recognizes the importance of music education in keeping kids engaged and in school as well as providing access to higher education through scholarships and supporting music educators.”
As one of the recipients, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center will use the CMA Foundation grant to support TPAC Education’s Disney Musicals in Schools program, a free semester-long, after-school musical theater program that inspires students and their school communities to organize around the challenging work of mounting a 30-60-minute musical production. Guided by TPAC teaching artists, the program utilizes active partnerships that combine school, professional, and community resources to create rich avenues for student learning while providing teachers with the training and tools needed to strengthen their arts programs. DMIS is expected to reach nearly 1,600 Metro Nashville Public Schools students in 30 elementary and middle schools this school year. Disney Musicals in Schools currently engages 26 Metro Nashville Public Schools, 1,200 students, 130 educators, 600 volunteers, and 12 teaching artists.
For more information on the CMA Foundation, visit CMAFoundation.org.
For more information on TPAC’s comprehensive arts education programs, visit TPAC.ORG/Education.
