Musicians at Play in the news!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The Musicians At Play (Map) Foundation Creates First-Ever Inglewood “USD Summer Music Camp” In Partnership with Inglewood School District & Teachers Association

South LA Summer Pilot Program Reaches Underserved Community, Providing Students with Instruments, Learning & Mentorship Opportunity

Los Angeles, CA (July 21, 2021) – The Musicians at Play Foundation (MAP), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing music education to youth in the Los Angeles area, is partnering with the Inglewood School District and the Inglewood Teachers Association to create the Inglewood USD Summer Music Camp for band and orchestra. The pilot program runs through July 2021 and will provide students in Inglewood USD with much-needed instruments, beginner to intermediate music education and important mentorship.

“We’ve noticed an 86 percent decline in music education opportunities for people of color in the public school system. This program is designed to bring music education back and give students an opportunity to learn and engage with mentors this summer,” says John Acosta, MAP’s Development Director of Education Programs. “The Inglewood school district currently lacks the funds for music programs, making the Musicians at Play Summer Music Camp a perfect supplement to the missing music education.”

“Inglewood Unified School District has extremely talented students, but unfortunately, most of the arts were discontinued many years ago. This has forced some of our students to either teach themselves or give up on their dreams of being musicians all together. Our partnership with MAP has allowed students and parents of the Inglewood Unified School District to finally believe when we say things are changing”, says Aba Ngissah, President of the Inglewood Teachers Association.

Currently, the Inglewood program has 40 students ranging from grades 2nd to 10th enrolled this July. The students come from schools within the surrounding Inglewood area, including Worthington Elementary, Paine Elementary, La Tijera Elementary, and Inglewood High School. The summer session continues until July 29th, giving students ample time to study a wide array of instruments, including violin, cello, trumpet, clarinet, saxophone and flute, all donated by Bertrand’s Music. Mentors include professional musicians Richard Adkins (violin), Bernie Nelson (trumpet), Jonathan Sacdalan (clarinet), and Nicole McCabe (saxophone/flute) Peter Korpela (percussion) and Luke Storm (Brass).

The Musicians at Play (MAP) Foundation, founded by the family of composer John Williams, hopes to serve diverse communities that have not only been negatively affected by the global Covid-19 pandemic, but have also struggled with consistent music education.

“This organization was founded on the intent to serve those who do not have access to music education,” says MAP Founder April Williams. “We are thrilled to see our work pay off as we listen to these students play notes and touch instruments that were once only in their dreams.”

All of the mentors are accredited educators and working professionals in film, TV, and symphonic orchestras. The pilot program is currently being held as an after-school activity for students, and MAP is looking to extend the program into the Fall, developing it further with resources for career-planning and college audition preparation, in the hopes that more and more students of the Inglewood community will look to music as an outlet and a future.

Musicians at Play is a 501(C3) Non-Profit Music performance and Education foundation EIN #47-3332460 www.musiciansatplay.org

About Inglewood USD Summer Music Camp
The Inglewood USD Summer Music Camp was created by the Musicians at Play Foundation, the Inglewood School District, and the Inglewood Teachers Association, to help mentor and educate young musicians (and students looking to become musicians) in the Inglewood Unified Public School District. The Inglewood School District currently does not have a music program for their students, and this camp helps to breach this educational gap.

ABOUT Musicians at Play (MAP) Foundation:
The Musicians at Play (MAP) Foundation creates access to and awareness of Los Angeles’ diverse musical heritage, through educational music and mentorship programs, as well as professional performances which fill the socio-economic needs of underserved youth and communities. MAP’s programs help students to build career skills and pathways to support the creative cultural expression of the community. MAP’s core values of Access, Excellence, Racial Equity and Inclusivity ensure free access to communities in underserved populations who have little to no ability to receive arts or music education. MAP’s purpose is to provide tuition-free music instruction programs aligned with VAPA standards to support teachers, parents, students and community members in defunded, marginalized communities suffering from systemic racism and the digital divide. Facilitated by accredited educators who are also professional local musicians in the Film, Concert Hall and Recording Industries in Los Angeles, MAP’s programs cross fourteen disciplines among woodwinds, strings and percussion instruments. For more, visit MAP at www.MusiciansAtPlay.org. Musicians at Play is a 501(C3) Non-Profit Music performance and Education foundation EIN #47-3332460.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Staci Griesbach
Musicians At Play Foundation
StaciGriesbach@LunaWorldwide.com