Some 170 low-income students at the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School will now enjoy a summertime music-camp experience, thanks to the CMA Foundation's recent $50,000 donation that will benefit the educational endeavor.
According to a May 22 statement from the country music-founded organization, the donation is part of CMA’s Keep the Music Playing initiative, which supports music education on behalf of the hundreds of artists who perform during CMA Music Festival for free.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to bridge the school year by making music education available for these low-income children during the summer,” said Kitty Moon Emery, chairwoman of the foundation's board of directors via the media release. “Supporting music education is an investment in the future of our city. Statistics demonstrate that students involved in arts programs have higher graduation rates and the benefits of music education translate to their other core curriculum.”
Per the CMA's PR reps, to date, the CMA and CMA Foundation have provided more than $6.1 million to support this important initiative, purchasing more than 4,000 instruments for 80 Metro Nashville Public Schools and providing the tools and incentives to help keep students engaged in school. This figure also includes a $1 million endowment gift to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Words & Music program, which assists language arts and music teachers with classroom instruction in the basics of songwriting.
As for the local music school's administration, Jonah Rabinowitz, executive director for W.O. Smith, is ever grateful for the financial support, which will breakdown to the aforementioned 170 students receiving expert music training in a "fun and rewarding" environment at a cost of about $300 per child.
“The CMA is making an incredible difference in the lives of our low-income students," Rabinowitz has said. "This investment in children’s futures will bear fruit in our community for generations to come.”
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