Bring back music programs for kids!
RURAL MUSIC EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE
Think for a minute about a world without music......
The government has abandoned music and arts programs in schools. In 2018, majority of budgets were cut, now over 50% of educational institutions no longer have a music program.
The Boredomfighters Foundation is embarking on a movement for music empowerment in communities that have had their programs taken from them.
We recognize the lack of access to arts in communities that are far from major cities.
We believe that when people are bored, they tend to fall into unhealthy patterns and dangerous things like drugs, gangs, etc.
We’ve seen proof that creating art and having an outlet for expression can save people from this boredom, and give them something to wake up excited about.
We are committed to fighting this with a “boots on ground” approach by bringing the music studios and educators directly to them.
THE PLAN
Step 1) Find the schools in communities that are cutting music and arts budgets.
Step 2) Bring instruments, studio equipment and workshops to them for free in 2020.
Step 3) Continue building relationships with them to install permanent studios in their communities in 2021 and beyond.
Step 4) Create more education and send educators to them consistently until the end of time.
Step 5) Watch the next generation of creatives blossom and save the world.
HOW TO HELP
1. Financial Donations
We need $10,000 to attend 50 schools throughout the United States. Every $200 raised gets us to another school and helps empower 10 - 30 more children.
All funding goes towards:
- instruments
- studio equipment
- travel expenses
- educators
- sound engineers
2. Donate Instruments & Equipment: The more instruments we can collect, the more we can leave in these communities permanently for kids to continue to experiment with. We can accept them by mail or in person if you are in Colorado or anywhere near our route during the tour. Here’s the form to set that up: https://forms.gle/CvtgtLnVyobxzdkg8
3. Connect us to the schools that need our help.
We have built a simple application process for schools who are underfunded in the arts department to sign up and have this program brought to them free of charge.
Apply Here: https://forms.gle/Fh6KPGofecdSRhus8
If you know of schools, or people who might know of schools, please email us or message us on our social media channels to begin a dialogue.
3. Book Our Workshops
The Instrument Garden and the Music Empowerment Workshop Series are designed to fit seamlessly into Festivals, Retreats, Camps, and Schools. We are seeking paid bookings to help fund this movement. Every booking gets us closer to another school who needs our help and can’t afford it! We are opening the doors here for organizations to sponsor a specific place with their booking.
(Example: “Awesome Music Festival books us and says, please use this extra money to also attend “Awesome Public School” up the street.)
Apply here: https://forms.gle/Fh6KPGofecdSRhus8
Some words from our Executive Director, Tyler:
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS AN INSTRUMENT GARDEN?
A full service production studio with instruments, recording equipment, and a music producer that record the sounds of the environment and build songs from scratch with the surrounding humans. The garden is often accompanied by workshops designed to spark interest in pursuing the world of music.
WHAT WORKSHOPS DO YOU OFFER?
• Instrument Garden Music Creation Workshop (1 - 3 hours depending on time available)
A curriculum that covers the basics of what music is and how to create it.
Full curriculum covers;
Sampling your Environment, Making a Beat from Samples, Instrument Basics, Adding Instrument Layers, Songwriting, Singing, Recording Vocals.
• Guitar 101 (1 - 2 hours)
Learn the basics of holding a guitar, tuning it, strumming it, and where the notes are.
• Music Production 101 (1 - 2 hours)
Learn the basics of recording instruments and sounds, arranging musical layers, and beat-making.
• Drums 101 (1 - 2 hours)
Learn the basics of drum patterns, types of drums, beatboxing, and create a drum beat.
• Creative Songwriting / Singing Workshop (1 - 2 hours)
Go through different exercises teaching ways to write lyrics, learn song structure, and sing or rap those lyrics.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
This image outlines a rough draft of the current trajectory. We plan to operate 1-3 hours outside of major cities for the majority of the trip, and execute it in 4 legs:
March 1 - 15: Colorado Dates
March 16 - 31: Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
April 1 - May 28: Southern US up through East Coast and back to Colorado
June 1 - June 20: West Coast Loop
We are open to applications from anywhere in the United States.
THANK YOU
We are all-in on this initiative. Some of us have left our jobs to pursue this full time and we are incredibly determined to make this happen. If this resonates with you at all, please share this with your network and introduce us to any people/organizations that may be able to help make this happen.
CONTACT INFO:
SOCIAL MEDIA:
WEBSITE:
