Proclaiming the Month of March 2010 as "National Music Education Month" (aka) "Music in our Schools Month."

The City Council of Philadelphia designates the month of March 2010 as “National Music Education Month,” in Philadelphia and encourages all Philadelphians to support music in our public schools and donate any instruments that are not currently being used

.

WHEREAS

, National Association for Music Education has officially designated the month of March as the national observance of Music In Our Schools Month.

WHEREAS,

In 1973

,

the First Music In Our Schools

celebration was sponsored by the New York State School Music Association; and

WHEREAS

, In 1985, Music In Our Schools Week was extended throughout the entire month of March, allowing music education professionals more flexibility in scheduling activities; and

WHEREAS,

Music In Our Schools Month is celebrated by hundreds of thousands of students, friends and families in communities worldwide; and

WHEREAS

, Many of our young people have the talent to study music but do not have the means to rent or purchase an instrument; and are unable to take advantage of our schools because the schools have an insufficient supply of instruments for their music program; and

WHEREAS

, Musicopia, a Philadelphia-based, non profit

music education organization operates a program that collects used instruments, refurbishes them if necessary, and then distributes them to schools so they can be used by budding young musicians; and

WHEREAS

, Our school district is making major strides in bringing arts education to more of our young people, and this is a great way you can help! If you (or someone you know) has an old violin, trumpet, cello, clarinet, flute, guitar, or any other type of musical instrument, sitting around at home going unplayed, now is the time to put it to good use; and

WHEREAS

, The drop-off sites for the City of Philadelphia are: 1) Mayor's Office of Education in City Hall, Room 115, 2) Managing Director's Office in Municipal Services Building, Room 1430, 3) City Planning in One Parkway/1515 Arch Street, 13th Floor; and

WHEREAS,

For other drop-off sites throughout the Philadelphia region or more information visit

www.musicopia.net

; now therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PHILADELPHIA,

That Philadelphia designates March, 2010 as “National Music Education Month,” in Philadelphia.

End