May 11, 2007
New Money for Music Programs
Contact: Susan Esau, Executive Director, 330-2790 or sesau@usd497

The Lawrence Schools Foundation has announced recipients of its first set of music grants funded by Music Works!, a group working to enhance and enrich the quality of music education for all students in the Lawrence public schools.

South Junior High’s 7th and 8th grade string orchestra will receive $1850 to provide small group lessons during orchestra classes. Director Rachel Dirks will arrange for private music teachers to work with small groups of students on fundamentals of string playing.

Deerfield Elementary will receive $900 to purchase guitars and accessories for a guitar lab designed by music teacher Sara Bonner. Sixth grade general music students will learn basic chord structure, scales and chord progressions, and will complete a songwriting unit using the guitars.

And, the All City Junior High Jazz Band, directed by junior high band directors Johannah Cox, Lauren Gaugert, Scott Robinson and Deb Woodall, will receive $500 to help fund the band for the 2007-2008 school year.

Music Works! founder and board member Bob Dinsdale said his group is pleased to support these efforts to enrich the Lawrence Public Schools’ music. “It’s exciting,” Dinsdale said, “to know that 40 percent of our secondary students participate in music in our schools. Doing all we can to improve and sustain our music programs will yield far-reaching benefits of in the lives of our students.  As our kids grow musically we know they’ll also grow in intellect, imagination and in their sense of community.”

Katherine Dinsdale, Lawrence Schools Foundation Trustee and chair of the Foundation’s Music Grants committee, said Music Works! has provided her with a good lesson about just how much a small band of passionate people can accomplish. “The Music Works!  board, which includes Karen Lane Christilles, Edith Clowes, Bob Harrington, Jim and Alison Nye, Marlene Penny, Bill Seidel and Margo Szabo, came together because we care about music and we wanted to help. We’ve worked very hard over the last three years to begin a fund that we hope will continue to grow and benefit generations of our public school music students.”

The Lawrence Schools Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that raises money to enrich the education of all students in the Lawrence Public Schools.  Through the generation and management of gifts, the Foundation seeks to promote and enhance effective early childhood education, innovative teaching and learning opportunities, recognition of outstanding teachers and staff, and encouragement of student achievement.

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