CMA Donates $1.4 Million To Keep The Music Playing

(L-R): Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Director, Kyle Young; Suzy Bogguss; CMA Foundation Chair and Chief Executive Officer of KittyMoon Enterprises, Kitty Moon Emery; Nashville Public Education Foundation Board Chair, Margaret Dolan; CMA Chief Executive Officer, Steve Moore; Nashville Mayor Karl Dean; CMA Board Chairman and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Music Entertainment, Gary Overton; Chris Young; Chevrolet National Promotions Manager, Phil Caruso; and Director of Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, Dr. Jesse Register. Photo: Alan Mayor

The CMA Foundation is donating $1.4 million in proceeds from the 2011 CMA Music Festival to benefit music education programs for Nashville’s 78,000 public school students through the “Keep the Music Playing” campaign.

Chris Young performs with Nashville School of the Arts students Mignon Grabois (l) and Charley Woods (r). Photo: Donn Jones / CMA

This announcement raises CMA’s Keep the Music Playing support of music education in public schools from $4.7 million to more than $6.1 million. This money has been used to build music labs and purchase more than 4,000 instruments, and much needed supplies for 80 Metro Nashville Public Schools through a partnership with the Nashville Public Education Foundation.

The announcement of the 2011 CMA Music Festival donation was made at a reception prior to the Third CMA Keep the Music Playing All Stars Concert at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center last night (1/31). The All Stars Concert honors the best elementary, middle, and high school performance groups selected from 133 Metro Nashville Public Schools.

Suzy Bogguss performs with the Glengarry Elementary Singers. Photo: Donn Jones / CMA

Chris Young hosted the concert. As a Middle Tennessee native, he understands the importance of music education in Music City and has supported the cause by appearing at the CMA Music Festival for the past eight years.

Special guest Suzy Bogguss has made music education a personal mission with her latest project, American Folk Songbook. The CD and companion songbook were created to help educate a new generation of fans about the classic American folk tradition.

CMA created the nonprofit (501C3) CMA Foundation in 2011. The Foundation, chaired by Kitty Moon Emery, exists to provide financial support to worthwhile causes that are important to CMA and the Country Music community.