Last Chance for Teens to Sign Petition to SAVE Music Education

[Jgssf]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 5:15pm

I brought this over from the JMansWorld message board(https://groups.msn.com/JMansWorldJustinGuariniTake2/welcome.msnw) because NO music no DRAMA either in the schools, and I thought maybe some of you wold be interested in adding your name to the petition.

Sent: 2/11/2005 6:14 AM

Press Release Source: American Music Conference

Last Chance for Teens to Sign Petition to Save Music Education
Friday February 11, 8:00 am ET
- February 25 is Last Chance to Join Justin Timberlake, Nick Lachey, Amber Tamblyn, Sean Paul, Clay Aiken, and a Host of Others Who Have Signed Nationwide Petition Going to Congress -


CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- A national online petition drive to support music in America's schools is coming to a star-studded Congressional presentation next month, but teens everywhere can still participate by visiting https://www.themusicedge.com before the February 25 deadline.
On March 9, talented young performers Justin Guarini, Diana DeGarmo and John Stevens from Fox's American Idol and the legendary Commodores will join other artists and education advocates to deliver the tens of thousands of petition signatures personally to members of Congress and visit Capitol Hill to make their case for saving music education in schools. The non-profit effort to let kids tell the world they want music in their lives and in their schools is an initiative of NAMM, the International Music Products Association, its non-profit affiliate the American Music Conference (AMC) and its teen web site, themusicedge.com, along with TEEN PEOPLE.
The petition to Congress on behalf of music education got its start in June 2002, when Justin Timberlake broke the news on MTV's Total Request Live. Since then, TEEN PEOPLE and themusicedge.com have encouraged thousands of young people to add their names alongside celebrities like Clay Aiken, Nick Lachey, Sean Paul, JC Chasez, Nick Cannon, Yellowcard, Amber Tamblyn, Ashlee Simpson, Pharrell Williams, Fefe Dobson, Ben Jelen, Samaire Armstrong and Adam Brody.

"Hundreds of thousands of kids are losing the opportunity to participate in school music programs because of drastic budget cuts in arts programs," says Joe Lamond, President and CEO of NAMM, which promotes the benefits of music, music research and music education. "Music education offers too many benefits to developing minds for this issue to go unnoticed. We need to give kids the opportunity to have a well-rounded education, and we need to empower more of them and their parents to voice their concerns."

The petition's delivery to Congress highlights NAMM's national activities to advance support of music education during the month of March. TEEN PEOPLE, NAMM and AMC urge teens across the country to sign the petition on themusicedge.com before February 25, and help keep school-based music programs alive.

About NAMM

The International Music Products Association, commonly called NAMM in reference to the organization's popular NAMM trade shows, is the not-for- profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $16 billion global musical instruments and products industry. The association's activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of nearly 9,000 Member companies. For more information about NAMM, interested parties can visit https://namm.com or call 800-767-NAMM (6266).

About AMC

Founded in 1947, AMC is a national non-profit educational association dedicated to promoting the importance of music, music-making and music education to the general public. For more information on the American Music Conference, go to https://www.amc-music.org.

About TEEN PEOPLE

TEEN PEOPLE, a National Magazine Award winner for General Excellence, is the definitive voice of youth culture. Launched in January 1998, TEEN PEOPLE became the first pop culture magazine for teens that focuses on stars, style and substance. With an editorial mix covering celebrities and entertainment, fashion and beauty, real teens and their accomplishments, TEEN PEOPLE keeps its readers clued in to what's now, what's next and what matters. Published ten times a year with two newsstand special editions, TEEN PEOPLE's guaranteed circulation is 1.45 million. https://TEENPEOPLE.COM is the magazine's official website.

For more information or interviews with Diana DeGarmo, Justin Guarini, John Stevens or members of the Commodores please contact Jo-Ann Geffen at JAG Entertainment (81 905-5511.

Justin appeared on Good Day Live September 9 as spokesperson for Music For All Foundation's "Music in Schools" Campaign

"A child's day is too often filled with mind-numbing facts solely designed for the next high-stake test, and not life application," he says. "An arts education is imperative to our children's growth and well being, and is proven to have a direct and positive effect on all other forms of reasoning." --Justin Guarini


Thanks!
Updated On: 2/12/05 at 05:15 PM

[apdarcey]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 5:16pm

your link isn't working.

[Jgssf]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 5:49pm

sorry about the link. I dont know how to fix it. Maybe someone can repost them so they will work right.
Thanks!

[chicagoAnnie]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 9:35pm

"A child's day is too often filled with mind-numbing facts solely designed for the next high-stake test, and not life application," he says. "An arts education is imperative to our children's growth and well being, and is proven to have a direct and positive effect on all other forms of reasoning." --Justin Guarini

Very articulate and thoughtful.

[leefowler]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 9:50pm

It's a great shortcoming of our educational system that no time is spent on teaching children how to spend their spare time: What kind of music to listen to, what books to read, what movies to enjoy, etc. My love of classical music and theatre has been the joy of my life, but I never received any help in this direction from school. No wonder so many people grow old in front of TV set, no one ever explained to them how big and wonderful Western culture is.

[Jgssf]

Posted: 2/14/05 at 2:48pm

Bumping this up because it is so important.
If you sign the petition, please post that you have. It will be nice to see support for this issue.

[boatsintheghetto]

Posted: 2/14/05 at 4:16pm

signing now!! My dad's in the music education business, so this is really important to me, they take away music educatin, they take away my home

[Jgssf]

Posted: 2/17/05 at 10:08pm

still time to vote!

[Dreamcatcher]

Posted: 2/17/05 at 10:37pm

Thanks for the link, am definitly signing. I go to an art-specialized high school and last year our beloved Governer of California (gag) tried to cut our arts funding and for that, we lost alot of great programs and classes. It's horrible. Arts is such a huge part of my life and the fact that they are trying to cut it out of american high school is a travesty. Thankfully, there is now talk that Warner Brothers studio is willing to fund my school for the next two years which would be wonderful because, thanks to these fund cuts etc, we came extremely close to losing our whole school.

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 2/17/05 at 10:42pm

Music education is whats ruining this country. People are slacking off.

[Dreamcatcher]

Posted: 2/17/05 at 11:42pm

I have to disagree with that bronxboundexpress. I think that musical education is extremely enriching for students. Whether a student slacks off or not is that individual's choice, I don't think it has anything to do with musical education. If you are suggesting that they replace music/art classes with more academic classes, as a high school student, I can safely say that it probably would make the situation worse. In a curriculum that is all academic, students (especially those who want to specialize in the arts) will become bored and they wont really feel the need to listen. I take many academic classes but the art-driven ones that are thrown in as well are extremely refreshing and enriching. I go to a school that specializes in the arts and music and not only do we have one of the country's best orchestras and jazz ensembles but our academic records are great for a high school. I'm sorry if it feels like I'm trying to force anyone to change their minds since its obviously everyone's own opinion to form but I'm just leaving my 2 cents as a student who loves the arts very much.

[Jgssf]

Posted: 2/24/05 at 1:28am

Thanks to all of you who have gotten involved and signed the petition to save music in the schools. It is so important on so many levels. How awful it would be if all the creativity was taken out of the schools, and out of our children as a result.
There are two more days to sign! Thanks!