How did you spread the word about your Battle of the Bands video? By promoting "Give It A Chance", a benefit concert that will raise money for the music facility at my own high school as well as raise awareness of music education in its current condition. I was also given the opportunity to talk about my benefit concert and battle of the bands on ABC 10's "Sacramento & Co." as well as NEWS 10 ABC and received my own article in The Stockton Record newspaper.

Did you use social media to get more eyes on your video? How? facebook, tumblr, twitter, myspace, youtube, kcra 3 news, stockton record, 97.7 kwin, 95.1 khop, NEWS 10 ABC, FOX 40 LIVE, Sacramento & Co.

Why is music education important to you? In today’s society, music in public education has become an undervalued course worthy of becoming a standard graduation requirement. With courses like Math, Science, History, and Foreign Languages becoming the pinnacle of a student’s High School career, it is apparent to believe that without music, a student’s education is anything but complete. All the mentioned courses are implemented into music and without music in schools, ethics and morals are being questioned, making the less fortunate in music education wonder, "What really matters to us? What really matters to our future generations?" Music is what our education system needs. It cannot be dumbed down to a 1 year elective course for students lacking credits. Music, like everything else, is a never ending learning process that needs a starting point. So for those unfortunate to take private lessons, or for those who've yet to find the beat of their own heart, why can’t that start be in schools? For Ryan’s Senior Project, Ryan has decided to pursue Music Education and discuss the values of having music in schools. Please join him as he helps save music in his own high school by hosting "Give It A Chance!", a benefit concert in which all proceeds will be donated to the Bear Creek music facility. Give it a chance, this is one show you will not be disappointed with.

Tell us more about the group or type of musical performance in your video: I am doing an acoustic performance of my original song "Give It A Chance". This is a song made specially for my benefit concert under the same name which will be hosted on April 3rd, 2010 at my high school. This song is also performed by my band Etlist. Although I will not be seen playing it, you can hear the song in the background clearly with lyrics posted on the youtube link to follow along. There are many featured Youtube artists, musicians, students, and teachers raising their voice and pledging to give music a chance.

Anything else we should know about your Battle of the Bands video project? It is primarily a promotional video for my benefit concert "Give It A Chance" that I have been working on since August of 2009, but since it is for the same cause in saving music education, I would like to send this as a way to show that regardless of whether there was a Battle of the Bands, I am still in the fight to save music education. GIVE IT A CHANCE raised over $3,000 for the Bear Creek Music Facility and raised the awareness of music education within the San Joaquin County. Hopefully others will be inspired by my efforts and will keep music in education alive. Thank you to special guests: Twentyfour64, April Chase, and Summer Breeze.