The Panther Partners After-School Theatre Program at Culver City Middle School was announced as one of the winners in the “Glee Give a Note Contest” presented by Twentieth Century Fox Television, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and the National Association for Music Education and its new Give a Note Foundation.
The “Glee Give a Note” campaign, started over three months ago, will distribute $1 million to 73 schools nationwide in grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 to help save struggling music programs.
“Despite budget cuts, we’ve been able to retain one very enthusiastic music teacher who has an incredibly full plate and we continue to expand our after-school arts programming including our award-winning musical theater program,” said CCMS Principal Jon Pearson.
“The Glee grant is making our dreams and hard work become reality. The more music we have, the more we can reach out to more of our students, increase academic performance and create a collaborative community. Thank you to Glee, Fox, [the National Association of Music Education]… We also owe a debt of gratitude to our community partners Scott Valentine and Janice Pober from Sony for their unwavering allegiance in supporting Culver City schools.”
“Glee” cast members Jayma Mays and Dot-Marie Jones were on hand to talk about the importance of music in the educational process and to present the $10,000 award in front of hundreds of CCMS students.
Bonnie Wacker, president of Panther Partners said, “We are thrilled to win the $10,000 grant. Not only is it a testament to our committed music teachers, but also to the students and community members who supported us throughout the voting process. The musical theater program has been a truly transformative experience not only for the students, but the parents and co-producers.
“The biggest thrill is to watch students transform into a theatrical supportive group that truly cares for each other. It’s much more than learning to act or sing. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to find the best in each person and champion their rare gifts as a fine-tuned group. To be given the grant will allow us to build our program into a sustainable on-going program,” Wacker said.
Students at CCMS were among thousands across the country who created submissions in video form during an open call for entries in September. In October, the eligible entries were posted on GleeGiveANote.com and put up for public vote for one month. During this time, students conducted massive grassroots efforts to win votes for their schools, reaching out to their families, friends and communities to get the vote out. Word quickly spread through Facebook, Twitter and local newsletters and more than one million votes were cast to help choose the finalists. A panel composed of music education association members conducted a final round of judging and, together with the public vote, determined the winning programs.
Under the mentorship of Diane Feldman, CCMS Musical Theatre students have already made a significant mark on the national music scene. Cameron DeFaria, who played Joseph in last year’s production of “Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” was one of 12 promising young musicians cast this year on the Hub’s TV show “Majors and Minors.”
Up for a possible recording contract with RCA Records, DeFaria beat out 40,000 teens from around the country to win a coveted spot.
“I can’t express enough of how thankful I am for Diane,” DeFaria said. “She has been a huge influence on why I’m currently doing what I’m doing. I will always be grateful to have been able to work with her.”
In addition, four students from CCMS Musical Theatre were hand-picked to be guest performers with National Children’s Chorus for Music Center’s production of Joffrey Ballet’s “Nutcracker.” Feldman’s summer program, Childrens’ Civic Light Opera (cclo.org), Los Angeles’ longest-running youth theatre company, has many success stories all over the country, including six alumni currently performing on Broadway.
Feldman and producer Diana Kunce said musical theatre is not just about performing – it’s about building a strong community of families and students who are challenged to grow artistically and collaboratively. From Feldman to Kunce to choreographer Courtney Bradshaw, the program is making an impact far beyond the stage itself.
“We are teaching life skills and creative problem solving,” Feldman said. “There are many learning styles in our cast and each and every child has experienced how developing music skills and fostering long-term commitment can build self-esteem, team work and most importantly, social and emotional strength.”
“Music education plays such a critical role in the development of our children, yet its place in our schools is not assured due to dire budget situations across the nation,” said Michael A. Butera, executive director of the National Association for Music Education. “Bold and generous acts, like Fox’s Glee Give a Note campaign, validate its importance and bring a sense of hope to thousands of educators and students. We are deeply grateful for the funding and awareness this campaign has created.”
To see a list of all the winning schools and view the submissions, visit GleeGiveANote.com. “Glee: The Concert Movie” was released in stores on Blu-ray, DVD and 3D Blu-ray on Dec. 20.