The NAMM Foundation Awards $848,807 to Support Innovative Music Learning Programs, Research Projects and Students

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products association, today announced the 31 recipients of the NAMM Foundation's 2009-2010 grants program, allocating $848,807 in funding to support community music-making programs, scientific research on the effects of making music, and music programs for seniors, college students and school-aged children. The Foundation reaffirmed it will offer scholarships for the study of music education and business in the year ahead.

The new grants, while only a small portion of NAMM's overall annual multimillion-dollar-reinvestment into the music products industry, serve an important function by enabling worthy organizations to operate programs designed to increase interest and participation in making music, as well as helping leading universities better understand the outcomes of making music for people of all ages. This important music-brain research continues to help the industry strengthen its marketing messages for why more people should play music.

During the recent NAMM Board of Directors meeting, the following programs received approval:

NAMM Foundation Program Grants support innovative community-based music learning programs for people of all ages and abilities.

American String Teachers Association
NAMM funding supports the implementation of the American String Teachers Association's program, "Increasing Access to Strings," a pilot project introducing and promoting strings to students in schools with diverse populations who are typically underserved by arts education programs.
www.astaweb.com

Australian Music Association
NAMM funding supports the launch of Musical Futures in Australia. This innovative music education program will be introduced as part of the process of renewing music education in Australia’s public schools.
www.australianmusic.asn.au/

Coalition for Music Education in Canada
NAMM funding supports the expansion of the Coalition for Music Education in Canada's “Music Monday” program, engaging thousands of music makers of all ages to experience and understand music's vital role in school and in life.
www.weallneedmusic.ca

Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association
NAMM funding supports the expansion of the Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association's Teacher Guitar Workshop program into more communities, and additionally provides advanced training for those already involved in the program. Teacher Training Programs will also expand into Canada.
www.discoverguitar.com

Guitars in the Classroom
NAMM funding supports the expansion of Guitars in the Classroom’s “The AMIGO Project: Achievement through Music Integration,” which introduces music making to California educators whose K-6 general
classrooms include more than 27 percent Hispanic students who are English Language Learners.
www.guitarsintheclassroom.org

Intercultural Family Services
NAMM funding supports the “Music & Mentorship” program, which currently provides unique opportunities for youth and families in Philadelphia to explore and develop their musical creativity, self-expression and self-esteem through musical appreciation and instruction.
www.ifsinc.org

Levine School of Music
NAMM funding supports the Levine School of Music's multiple recreational music programs for seniors 55 years and older, offered daily under the title “A Little Day Music.”
www.levineschool.org

Little Kids Rock, Inc.
NAMM funding supports the launch of Little Kids Rock’s program “Contemporary Band,” bringing student-centered, pop-oriented instrument classes into public schools. Contemporary Band will complement Orchestra, Marching Band, Chorus and Jazz Band programs.
www.littlekidsrock.org

Merit School of Music
NAMM funding supports the expansion of Merit School of Music’s Band Builders initiative, which enriches band programs in Merit’s Bridges sites with in-school and after-school music instruction.
www.meritmusic.org

Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation
NAMM funding supports the expansion of Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation’s “Special Projects” program, which helps after-school programs, community schools of the arts, youth orchestras and qualified music therapy programs, all assisting underserved youth primarily attending Title 1 schools.
www.mhopus.org

National Center for Creative Aging
NAMM funding supports the design, implementation and evaluation of the Creativity Matters National Arts and Aging Professional Development initiative. This training effort brings to life the Creativity Matters: The Arts and Aging Toolkit.
www.creativeaging.org/

National Guild of the Community Schools of the Arts
NAMM funding supports the launch of the National Guild’s “Engaging Adolescents Initiative,” increasing teen’s participation in music learning programs in the Guild’s member schools by enhancing the effectiveness and scope of existing programs and stimulating the development of new teen programs.
www.nationalguild.org

National Piano Foundation
NAMM funding supports the expansion of the National Piano Foundation's Recreational Music Making Piano project, training piano instructors to establish new informal learning methodologies for teaching recreational students.
www.pianonet.com

National String Project Consortium
NAMM funding supports the expansion of the National String Project Consortium’s “Creating and Sustaining String Projects” program, with a launch of a fifth string program site.
www.stringprojects.org

New Horizons International Music Association
NAMM funding supports the expansion of the "Lift-Off" project, which will help establish eight to 10 New Horizons bands, orchestras or choruses in the United States and Canada. Each group will create an environment for older adults to start—or resume—group music making.
www.newhorizonsmusic.org

North Shore Boys & Girls Club
NAMM funding supports the expansion of North Shore Boys & Girls Club’s “Rock Lobster Monthly Band Night” program to include special needs young adults. RockLobster provides youth with a unique music making venue that encourages bands to perform by offering an accessible, alcohol-free venue where they can practice, gain stage experience, be mentored and even develop a following for their music.
www.nsbgc.org

Percussive Arts Society
NAMM funding supports their “Recreational Drumming: Celebrating Health and Wellness” national event. The event is a two-week celebration and recognition of the health benefits of Recreational Music Making drumming.
www.pas.org

Percussion Marketing Council
NAMM funding supports the expansion of Percussion Marketing Council's signature school percussion programs, “Roots of Rhythm” program and the Percussion in the Schools assembly program.
www.rootsofrhythm.net or www.playdrums.com

The Music Center of Los Angeles County
NAMM funding supports the Active Arts Recreational Music Program, which engages recreational musicians in participatory arts experiences at the Center in downtown Los Angeles.
www.musiccenter.org

Raising the Blues
NAMM funding supports the “Music, Memory & Healing” program, bringing the making of blues music into in-patient pediatric hospitals, medical-needs and special-needs summer camps. The program offers interactive musical opportunities, music access, music education and instruments to children undergoing medical treatment and recovery.
www.raisingtheblues.org

Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls
NAMM funding supports 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.
www.girlsrockcamp.org

Technology Institute for Music Educators
NAMM funding supports the launch of TI:ME’s “Effective Applications of Technology in the Music Classroom: An Action Research Model” project to further build a body of research related to music technology that will identify “best practices” and efficacy related to student music learning and its impact on music making and music education.
www.ti-me.org

NAMM Foundation Research Grants provide support for projects that explore the impact of active participation during various stages of life and on human experience and conditions. Grants are made in three research-funding areas, as follows:

Scientific Grants
University of California Understanding the Combined Influences of Musical Training and Genetic Predisposition in the Development of Absolute Pitch

Sounds of Living Grants  
University of South Florida School of Music Senior Citizen’s Music Participation and Perception of Quality of Life

Sounds of Learning Grants
Northwestern University Bienen School of Music Effects of Music Experiences During School Years on Professional Creative Achievement Among a Sample of Architects, Chemical Engineers, and Music Educators

Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles Office of Contracts and Grants The Impact of Music Education on Social Communication, Emotional Functioning and Musical Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

School of Music, Carnegie Mellon University An Urban Education Research Project to Study the Relationship of Kindergarten Keyboard Instruction to Neuropsychological Development

2009 William R. Gard Memorial Scholarship  Each year, NAMM selects a student interested in contributing his or her talents to the music products industry to  receive the association’s William R. Gard Memorial Scholarship, named in honor of former NAMM Executive Vice President William R. Gard.

The 2009 scholarship recipient is Cassandra Sotos of Pennsylvania State University Schreyer Honors College in University Park, Penn. An honors student studying Industrial Engineering and Entrepreneurship, Cassandra is an accomplished violinist who started taking lessons at the age of four and began performing professionally when she was eight. Cassandra recently performed at the 2009 NAMM Show in Anaheim with the Mark Woods Rock Orchestra and calls it “one of the most exciting experiences” of her musical life.

The scholarship is renewable for up to three academic years. This year’s renewal recipients include Zachary Morris of the University of Colorado, Denver; Joseph Perry of California State University Stanislaus; and Samantha Breske of Millikin University.

For more information about the NAMM Foundation's grants and scholarships, please e-mail grants@namm.org.

About The NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit organization with the mission of advancing active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs from the international music products industry. For more information about the NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.