Partners in Music Education

The Belin Quartet performs an in-school workshop at the Downtown School

Anyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about arts education. I truly believe it is JUST as important to a child's education as any other subject including science, math or reading. It is not an extra or something we can cut when times get tough. Without a sound education in the arts, children are not able to reach their full potential as intelligent human beings.

Iowa is 46th in the nation in per capita funding for the arts. This is embarrassing and disappointing. Civic Music Association realizes we must do all we can to enrich our community through the arts. Each season when we contract our guest artists, an education/outreach event is included in the contract. A lot of artists enjoy offering Master Classes or in-school workshops. This allows the artist to work one-on-one with students often in front of an audience.

Byron Stripling works with the Roosevelt High School Jazz Band

Perhaps the most rewarding part of my job is to see the results of our Partners in Music Education Programs. Nothing pleases me more than to do an in-school program or Master Class the day of the concert and then see those same students AND their parents at the concert that evening! Civic Music Association helps make that possible by offering heavily discounted and/or free concert tickets to Partners in Music Education participants.

All of our Partners in Music Education Programs are free and open to the public. Please feel free to come observe and participate.

The Georgia Guitar Quartet will be doing an in-school performance/workshop on Friday, April 17 at 10:00 am at Hillis Elementary School.

John Pizzarelli plays side-by-side a Drake University Jazz Combo