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Rockstart Proposal

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Youth Culture

CURRENT SITUATION

Idle time after school is THE crucial time to engage adolescent youth

Music and Sports are our best chance to engage

Popular music is not taught in schools

Todays lyrical content reinforces Immoral behavior

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Music Participation Declining In Schools

• Participation in Band and Orchestra drops in correlation to age (HMS 32% average decline by grade (6th - 8th), National Decline of 22% for Black and Latino students in any form of arts education from 1982-2008)

• No funding for popular instruments, Music funding declining (39% over the past 10 years)

• Most popular instruments not taught• Classical and Jazz music becoming irrelevant in youth culture

(The average age of Classical and Jazz audiences is rising faster than any other grouping)

PROBLEM

Sources: National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA),

and Highland Middle School

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Alarming Trends

Source: National Endowment of the Arts (NEA)

PROBLEM

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Funding Is Declining

• Local funding for the arts has declined by 20% between 2008 – 2011

• State art agencies lost 39% of their appropriated funds between 2001 - 2011

• More cuts expected in 2012

PROBLEM

Source: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA)

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Media Consumption By Age

AGE CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOR

Up to age 10 Watches T.V. with parents Group discussion on content preferences

10 to age 12Urban youth listen to

music 4.43 hours a day (28% of the day)

In room w/o parents: some of the dialogue

concerning content ends

13 and above“ “

Seldom to no discussion on content

Source: USA Today Dec 2011 (Society for the Advancement of Education)

PROBLEM

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Pop Music VS Family Values

PROBLEM

• The top recording artist of this decade is Eminem, his lyrics graphically describe rape, murder, domestic violence, incest, drugs and sex– The #1 consumer of rap and hip/hop music is white

urban youth Source: Wall Street Journal/Boston Globe/Wikipedia

• The correlation between record sales & jail cells• Content of Top 10 songs over the past 4 years

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But… Music is vital• Defines Identity 4.43 hours a day spent listening to music

• Primary avenue of expression• Playing in a band facilitates

teamwork, self-confidence, discipline, creativity

• Academic improvement regardless Of socioeconomic background

Source: Dr. James Catterall, UCLA

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SOLUTION : Redeem Music• Redeem Music – Redeem Lives (Student Bands, Pro Bands, Local Venues)

• ROCKSTART (After school music program)

• Recording studio (To support all entities)

SOLUTION

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We listened for one year and over 3,000 hours to… And learned from…

• Students• School Principals/Teachers/Counselors And Administrators• Parents• Industry experts• Community partners

SOLUTION

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ROCKSTART

• Pay model (w/ scholarships)• Use School Facilities• Partner for Concerts• Volunteer Participation• Self sustaining after initial start up costs

SOLUTION

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More than Music

• Scholarships• Free transportation• Free instruments• Partnership with school to improve grades, behavior and attendance• Community (engages peers and parents)

SOLUTION

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Students that participate in

school music programs are twice as likely to attend

college

1976 20090%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

Hispanic

Asia/Pacific Islander

Black

White

Source: US Dept of Education, Nat’l Ctr for Education Statistics 2011

National Avg Music Students

1 x

2 x

Rate of College Attendance

Source: Bands Across the USA

Over 60% of the students In our beta test were non

white

College Attendance By Ethnicity

The College FactorSOLUTION

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Key Benefits

• Academic Improvement• Builds self confidence• Breaks through economic/cultural barriers to create community• On stage and in school vs on the street and on

police rolls

SOLUTION

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From the Principal

ROCKSTART’S IMPACT• 83% of ROCKSTART student grades were better for the quarter they

participated in ROCKSTART than the quarter they did not - On average +6.8% (almost a full grade point)

• 13 of 19 students started with at least 1 and as many as 5 F’s, 6 weeks later 70% of the 13 were cleared to fully participate• For the 4 students that were not cleared, a performance plan was

crafted to meet their specific academic and emotional needs

• “ROCKSTART BREAKS THROUGH CULTURAL, ACADEMIC AND SOCIOECONOMIC BARRIERS. At Highland we see many students working together that normally would not.” – Anissa Bereano, Principal HMS

• “We have seen a TREMENDOUS BOOST to the SELF CONFIDENCE and SELF ESTEEM of the students that participated in ROCKSTART.”

– Maureen McDermott, Counselor HMS

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Funding Needs

• Band Setups (2 band sets per school)– Middle Schools 5 Schools @ $9,500 $47,500– Alternative Schools 2 Schools @ $11,000 $22,000– High Schools4 Schools @ $12,500 $50,000

• Equipment for school concerts $20,000• Administration/Overhead $50,000• Instructors for first year ($8,400 per school @ 5 schools) $42,000

• Recording Studio Equipment $85,000

Total Funding Needs $316,500

PROPOSAL