CMA Foundation Commits Over $300K To Advance Partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools

The CMA Foundation is continuing its long-standing commitment to Metro Nashville Public Schools by investing more than $320,000 to support initiatives aimed at ensuring the success of music teachers and students across the district. Metro Schools is receiving a direct grant award of $205,000 as well as funding for a landmark music needs assessment survey that will help shape the future of music education in Metro schools. This investment brings CMA’s support of music teachers and education in Nashville to almost $12 million since 2006 – making it one of the largest local, private investments in the district’s public-school system.

“The CMA Foundation is one of our most valuable partners and their funding support helps provide excellence in music education in our schools, in a city known for quality music, and that’s an amazing benefit to our students,” said Dr. Shawn Joseph, MNPS director of schools.

Funds for the 2019 grant award were raised through the CMA’s annual CMA Fest, held in Nashville each June. This grant award will be used to provide side-by-side coaching for music teachers, private lessons for students, and sheet music for choral music programs. The CMA Foundation will also recognize 10 teachers in Metro Schools as one of the Music Teachers of Excellence. Each teacher recognized will receive a $2,500 award and $2,500 will be awarded for each teacher’s school music program.

“Music education has proven to be an effective and invaluable tool for academic achievement and social development,” said Tiffany Kerns, executive director, CMA Foundation. “Now, more than ever, we need to invest in our young people to be the creative, collaborative, free-thinking future our country needs. Through the power of music, we are able to come together and ensure all students have access to music education and our administrators have the support they need to cultivate a thriving program in their community. Expanding our partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools and working collaboratively on building a strong strategy for sustainability allows us to not just support those in our own backyard, but also help develop a strong model for resources and giving that can be mirrored across the country in our giving and impact.”

The CMA Foundation works to enrich music programs across the country, investing over $25 million to ensure all students have access to a quality music program.