NAMM Foundation supports innovative community-based music learning programs that allow more people the opportunity to experience the proven benefits of active music making.
During the recent NAMM Board of Directors meeting, the following programs received approval:
Australian Music Association
The Australian Music Association is the trade body for the music products industry, representing wholesalers, manufacturers, retailers and associated services for musical instruments, pro audio, print music, lighting and computer music products. NAMM Foundation funding supports the implementation of Wider Opportunities Whole Class Instrumental Program, providing professional development for instrumental teachers, classroom teachers and community musicians.
Boys and Girls Harbor, Inc.
The mission of Boys & Girls Harbor, Inc. is to empower children and their families to become full, productive participants in society through education, cultural enrichment and social services. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of its Latin Music Program in New York City. The goal of the program is to foster the development of well-rounded, technically proficient, literate and creative musicians by learning Afro-Caribbean musical styles, history and seminal artists.
Carolina Studios Corp.
Carolina Studios Corps mission is to provide youth a safe after-school and summer environment that promotes productive use of time through music technology and other media arts enhancing creative, educational and career-focused initiatives. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of its Music Technology Program, giving all participants an opportunity to explore and develop their musical creativity while increasing their academic performance.
Coalition for Music Education in Canada
The Coalition for Music Education in Canada’s mission is to raise the awareness and understanding of the role that music education plays in Canadian culture, and to promote the benefits that music education brings to young people. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of its Music Monday program, a public awareness initiative that engages thousands of music makers and the media in the opportunity to celebrate music making's vital role in school and in life.
Dallas Wind Symphony
The Dallas Wind Symphony is the leading professional civic wind band in the United States today. Comprised of 50 woodwind, brass and percussion players, the band performs an eclectic blend of musical styles ranging from Bach to Bernstein and Sousa to Strauss. NAMM Foundation funding supports its Strike Up The Band youth concerts recruitment initiative, which supports the Dallas Independent School District’s sixth grade band recruitment efforts.
DISMAMUSICA
Dismamusica is the Italian Association of Producers and Distributors of Musical Instruments, Music Publishers and accessories in association with the Confcommercio. The association believes that active music making is a strong educational, enriching, and recreational tool and its mission is to promote active music making. NAMM Foundation funding supports the Music 2020 program, which has the goal to introduce new standards and methodologies for teaching music education in 100 primary education classes by 2020.
Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association
The Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association (GAMA) is a trade association comprising of guitar products manufacturers and distributors. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of Teacher Guitar Workshop, a professional development program to provide music educators with the basic skills and tools necessary to introduce and teach group guitar instruction in schools.
Guitars in the Classroom
Guitars in the Classroom (GITC) trains and equips classroom teachers to integrate singing and playing guitar into children’s daily school experiences. By providing instruction, access to instruments, resource materials, and program supervision, GITC empowers educators to transform classrooms into musical environments that bring out the best in every student, engaging them in studies across the curriculum. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of The AMIGO Project: Achievement through Music Integration, piloting this program in three foreign countries with a goal of reaching 4,500 children.
Intercultural Family Services
Intercultural Family Services uses cultural services, to stabilize, strengthen, and unite families and diverse communities through public and private partnerships. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of the Music & Mentorship program, providing families of diverse cultural groups an opportunity to explore and develop their musical creativity, self-expression and self-esteem through music instruction.
Jazz Arts Group of Columbus
The Jazz Arts Group of Columbus (JAG) is America’s oldest not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to producing, performing and promoting jazz. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of the Adventures: The Jazz Academy Reaches Out program which advances and celebrates the art of jazz in Columbus, Ohio, and surrounding areas serving at-risk youth and developmentally disabled adults.
Kid Pan Alley
Kid Pan Alley uses the group songwriting process to inspire and empower children to become creators of their own music, not just consumers of popular culture. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of Across the Years-Kid Pan Alley Intergenerational Songwriting Residencies program, which enhances the quality of life for seniors, gives young people a chance to see the world from a perspective different than their own; and increases community support of the importance of arts education.
Latino Arts, Inc.
Latino Arts, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to bringing cultural awareness, artistic educational experiences, and high-quality programming to the Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin communities featuring Hispanic artists. NAMM Foundation funding supports the Latino Arts String program, an in-school and after-school music education program serving students ages 4 to 17 where students learn classical musical skills while learning and incorporating Latino music and traditions.
Litchfield Performing Arts, Inc.
Litchfield Performing Arts’ mission is to enhance the achievement of students and music educators of all ages and skill levels by providing instruction from the jazz professionals in a non-competitive environment. NAMM Foundation funding supports the Litchfield Jazz Camp and Teach the Teacher program, an innovative program bringing its formidable jazz resources to the classroom teacher. The program is designed to help school teachers at all grade levels develop or expand effective strategies for educating their students about America's national music treasure - Jazz!
Little Kids Rock, Inc.
Little Kids Rock’s mission is to restore and revitalize music education in U.S. public schools. It provides free musical instruments and music instruction to underserved schools across the country. NAMM Foundation funding supports the Leveled Guitar Curriculum program, providing music learning opportunities for students with diverse skill levels, ages, proficiencies, and experience.
Merit School of Music
Merit School of Music provides high-quality music education to students in metropolitan Chicago. Its primary goals are to help young people achieve their full musical potential, to remove economic barriers to participation, and to stimulate personal and educational growth through music. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of its Nixon Elementary School Band program and to pilot the program Comunidad de Alegre: Pilsen, a community-based strings program providing a rigorous, culturally representative, and excellence-based music education experience for students in the primarily Spanish-speaking Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen.
Midori & Friends
Midori & Friends provides high quality music education programs to underserved children in New York City's public school system. NAMM Foundation funding supports the Adventures in Making Music Residencies, including Guitar and other instrumental and vocal classes and community enrichment initiatives, which are skills-based programs that give students and teachers opportunities to learn how to play the guitar and other instruments in general classroom settings in New York City.
Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation
Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting music through donations of musical instruments to young musicians. NAMM Foundation funding supports the Special Projects program, which provides musical instruments to after-school programs, community schools of the arts, youth orchestras and qualified music therapy programs assisting underserved youth primarily attending Title 1 schools.
Music For All/UK
Music For All/UK is the charity for the UK musical instrument industry whose mission is “Making More Musicians!” NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of the travelling Learn To Play Stand School Tour, introducing thousands of children to a variety of musical instruments in schools in the United Kingdom and supporting music instruction programs.
Music Haven, Inc.
Music Haven’s mission is to imbed as a professional string quartet in an urban community and contribute to community development goals through performance and music education, empowering young people, their families, and professional musicians. NAMM Foundation funding supports its After-School Lesson program, providing a creative outlet for youth and families who have little or no access to high-quality music education, mostly due to economic circumstances, time and transportation limitations.
National Center for Creative Aging
The National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA) is dedicated to fostering an understanding of the vital relationship between creative expression and the quality of life of older people. NAMM Foundation funding supports the Creativity Matters: Vital Aging in Vital Communities Initiative. This project will include: 1) an online compendium to the Creative Aging Toolkit focusing on music making; 2) regional issues forums and 3) webinars that expand definitions, understanding and engagement of the senior citizen service sector related to active participation in music.
National Guild of the Community Schools of the Arts
The National Guild for Community Arts Education supports and advances access to lifelong learning opportunities in the arts. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of the Engaging Adolescents Initiative, increasing teen’s participation in music learning programs in Guild member schools by enhancing the effectiveness and scope of existing programs and stimulating the development of new teen programs.
National Piano Foundation
PianoNet is the official site for the National Piano Foundation, a comprehensive guide to pianos, including the history, manufacturing, related noted artists, important publications, and more. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of the Recreational Music Making Piano project to include teacher certification for piano teachers in a Recreational Music Making (RMM) curriculum.
National String Project Consortium
The National String Project Consortium (NSPC) is a coalition of String Project sites based at colleges and universities across the United States. The NSPC is dedicated to increasing the number of children playing stringed instruments, and addressing the critical shortage of string teachers in the United States. NAMM Foundation funding supports the Creating and Sustaining String Projects program to address the shortage of qualified stringed instrument teachers by providing training and outreach to new string teachers via seven college university sites.
New Horizons International Music Association
New Horizons Music programs provide entry points to music making for adults, including those with no musical experience at all and those who were active in school music programs but have been inactive for a long time. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of the Internationalizing New Horizons Music project Year 2, expanding the opportunity for adult music makers to participate in recreational bands and orchestras and training band directors to establish programs internationally.
Orchestre A L’Ecole
Orchestre A L’Ecole, a music trade association in France, aims to develop the musical abilities of young people in schools in disadvantaged areas. NAMM Foundation funding supports Orchestre A L’Ecole, a music education and training program that was created by the association.
Percussive Arts Society
Percussive Arts Society (PAS) is a non-profit, music service organization. Its mission is to promote percussion education, research, performance and appreciation throughout the world. NAMM Foundation funding supports the Find Your Rhythm! Community Outreach program designed to engage fourth and fifth grade students in active music making using rhythm-based instruments. The program serves low-income youth from Indianapolis city schools.
Percussion Marketing Council
The Percussion Marketing Council’s mission is to provide professional marketing and advertising campaigns, programs and activities that bring increased public awareness to drumming, thus increasing the number of people playing all types of drums. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of the Roots of Rhythm interdisciplinary music education program and the Percussion in the Schools assembly program to serve schools throughout the United States.
Performing Arts Center of L.A. County
The Music Center of the County of Los Angeles, a non-profit corporation, is committed to building civic vitality by strengthening community through the arts. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of the Active Arts Recreational Music Program: Get Your Chops Back program, a series of group music-making sessions and open rehearsals aimed at reigniting the musical skills of “lapsed” instrumentalists.
Raising the Blues, Ltd.
Raising the Blues, LTD is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to bringing music to children undergoing medical treatment or recovery, and children with physical, emotional or educational challenges. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of the Music, Memory & Healing program, bringing the making of blues music and interactive musical opportunities, music access, music education and instruments to children undergoing medical treatment and recovery.
Rock ’n’ Roll Camp for Girls
Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls’ mission is to encourage, engage and showcase the musical, artistic and individual talents of girls and young women ages 8 to 18. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of the Girls Rock Institute, providing girls in Portland, Ore., a place to learn an instrument, form a band, write an original song and perform in front of an audience.
San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory
The San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory instills excellence in the musical and personal development of students through rigorous and inspiring musical training experiences. NAMM Foundation funding supports the Community Opus Project, providing community-based music programs for at-risk youth in San Diego County and efforts to work community-wide to reinstate music education programs.
Street-Level Youth Media
Street-Level Youth Media educates Chicago's urban youth in media arts and emerging technologies for use in self-expression, communication, and social change. NAMM Foundation funding supports the Audio/Music Production program that includes beginning- to advanced-level music and sound technology workshops in community- and school-based sites during after-school hours, as well as media arts integrated workshops.
TI:ME
The Technology Institute for Music Educators (TI:ME) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to assist music educators in applying technology to improve teaching and learning in music. NAMM Foundation funding supports TI:ME’s Technology Leadership Academy, a program for pre-service music education majors focusing attention on the emerging interest to reach non-traditional music students with technology-based music programs.
Women’s Audio Mission
Women's Audio Mission is a San Francisco-based, non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of women in music production and the recording arts. NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of its Girls on the Mic program, using music making to encourage middle and high school-aged girls to pursue studies in music, math, science and computers and expose them to music technology careers.
Youth Radio
Youth Radio promotes young people's intellectual, creative, and professional growth through education and access to media. NAMM Foundation funding supports the D.S.S.C.O: DJ Sound System for Community Outreach program, a teen and young adult program that engages local DJs as guest instructors to train students in technology and music making.