Tel. 617-750-0775

Email: jjacobs@rawkstars.org

RAWKSTARS PARTNERS WITH PASSIM AND JAY TURSER TO SUPPORT MUSIC EDUCATION AT CHARTER SCHOOL

Nonprofit arts organization Passim launched Music Speaks, a music education program at Cambridge based charter school Prospect Hill Academy. Passim partnered with Rawkstars, Inc. to provide instruments, music accessories and other organizational support for its students.

Cambridge, MA Fall 2010 – Music Speaks brings music education to the public schools in an effort to respond to the needs of students receiving limited arts instruction. The goal of this program is to help students discover their potential for artistic expression, increasing their self-esteem and overall achievement.

In recent years, deep cuts in education have eliminated music and arts opportunities for students, despite increasing research that demonstrates the connection between arts involvement and student achievement. Prospect Hill Academy (PHA) is no exception, and the collaborative Music Speaks program responds to the need of those children receiving limited arts education in school. Particular risk factors of PHA students include low academic proficiency, an achievement gap, and a lack of sufficient home-based academic support.

Passim School of Music Instructor Janet Feld developed the curriculum for the program, and will mentor Music Speaks Instructor, Michael Isberg, throughout the 2010-2011 school year. Each trimester, 30 students (grades K-3) will take Introduction to Music with Mr. Isberg, which will expose them to musical notes, rhythm, and multicultural songs. In addition, 30 students (grades 4-8) will take Introduction to Guitar, in which they will learn basic chords, scales, and songs on the guitar. Following the success of Music Speaks at Prospect Hill Academy, Passim intends to expand its efforts and increase the number of children receiving music education at other public schools.

Rawkstars, a nonprofit music organization, generously donated 32 guitars and musical accessories to Music Speaks, giving students the opportunity to take the guitar home to practice every night. Rawkstars worked with instrument sponsors Jay Turser and Mr. Music to provide a strong foundation for Music Speaks and will continue to support the program as it evolves and expands into other area schools.  Rawkstars will be filming throughout the program, and will produce a documentary film about the collaboration between Passim, Prospect Hill Academy, and Rawkstars.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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For more information, or to contribute to Rawkstars, please contact Jonathan Jacobs,

Rawkstars, Inc. Executive Director, at 617-750-0775 or jjacobs@rawkstars.org.

Colin officially enrolled as of October 1st and will be taking his first lesson in the next few weeks.  We look forward to supporting Colin on his musical journey and helping him reach his goals; in music and in life.

These 3 amazing companies are collectively donating 35 guitars for our recently announced pilot music program in conjunction with Passim School of Music and Prospect Hill Academy.

“Working with brands of this caliber ensures that our students will receive high quality instruments to begin their musical training.” says Jonathan Jacobs, founder and Executive Director of Rawkstars, Inc.  “It helps us direct additional support to other aspects of this program, since a majority of our equipment costs are being covered by this in-kind donation.”

“We are proud to be working with such generous and recognizable businesses to bring opportunity through music education to 60+ local youth, right here in our own backyard.”

For more information on Rawkstars, Inc. contact us directly at info@rawkstars.org/617.750.0775 or visit our website, http://rawkstars.org.

Club Passim is one of the nation’s legendary cultural icons and epicenter of great folk and acoustic music.  The venue’s 50+ year role in America’s musical and cultural history is still being assessed in books, recordings, documentaries, articles, and music biographies.

Prospect Hill is a 14 year old Charter School based in Cambridge and Somerville, serving 900 students grades K-12 across three campuses.

Rawkstars will be providing 40 instruments and musical accessories to the pilot as well as working on operational, analytic and marketing efforts to support the students, instructors and its partners.

“We are extremely excited to be working with such luminary partners”, says Jonathan Jacobs, founder and Executive Director of Rawkstars.  “This collaboration represents a major step in Rawkstars’ growth and in its mission to provide opportunity to Boston area kids through music programs.”

The pilot program begins in September 2010 and will run throughout the 2010-11 school year.  It will include 4 groups of students encompassing kindergarten through 8th grade.  Younger kids will work towards learing basic musical rhythms and hand drumming while older students will begin learning guitar through a highly supervised curriculum.

For more information, contact us at 617.750.0775 or via email, jjacobs@rawkstars.org.

We currently have an opening in our Rawk Starts program and are looking for qualified applicants who fit this criteria.

Drop an email to info@rawkstars.org to learn more about our programs and enrollment guidelines.  RAWK!