Northwest Youth Music Association Completes 2008 Service Projects
The Northwest Youth Music Association (parent organization to the World Class Cascades drum corps), completed a successful 2008 year of community service projects. There were two major initiatives, Rotary Music4Life and the Partners in Education program.
Rotary Music4Life is a partnership between the Northwest Youth Music Association (NYMA), Rotary District 5030, and the Seattle School District that was formed to expand music education in Seattle Schools, targeting elementary school students.
As the administrator of the program, NYMA obtained well over 100 used instruments, acquired approximately 50 new instruments, and funded the hiring of two elementary music school teachers to full-time status from part-time.
Gerard Schwarz, world-renowned conductor of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, endorsed the program, saying, “This wonderful program will open doors for children in elementary school, which is at the time of life when, if they are interested and talented in any way, they have the greatest chance of success. Many people tell me of the impact that direct knowledge of music has had on their lives. We intend to give this advantage to all of our children.”
NYMA created the Partners In Education program to support Northwest high school marching bands by providing specialized marching instruments to schools that would not otherwise have such instruments given limited music programs budgets. In this first trial year of the program, three high schools were loaned marching band instruments, at no-cost.
“There are so many synergies between school marching band programs and our sponsored drum corps activities. It just makes so much sense to share instruments that would otherwise spend half the year in storage,” said Mike Bujnowski, Chairman of NYMA. “We are pleased that we have a community service offering that truly benefits all parties.”
NYMA will significantly increase its instrument inventory to expand the scope of the Partners in Education program. The target will be to triple the number of high schools to which marching instruments are provided within the next three years.
The Northwest Youth Music Association is a non-profit organization supporting youth music/arts activities. The organization it most well known for sponsoring the Cascades (World Class drum corps), Spokane Thunder (Open Class drum corps) and Brass Attack (all-age performance ensemble).
