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VH1 Save the Music Foundation, the American Idols & Family Heritage Inspire Young Girl to Support Music Education

Here’s our heart-warming and amazing story.... It all started when 11-year-old Stephanie Hughes (now 13) sent an e-mail to the VH1 Save the Music Foundation (VH1) in New York saying how she wanted to save her music teachers’ jobs with all her heart! The music teachers at her school had just been laid off due to budget cuts. VH1 responded with a list of suggestions for how to help save music programs using resources available online. Stephanie and her mother, set out to fulfill everything on the list. We called on the school board with music advocacy materials, participated in fundraising events, rallied the support of local businesses and reported back to VH1. Due to greater than anticipated savings by the school district, support from the foundation and community efforts, the teachers did get their jobs back, but there is still an ongoing need for music education advocacy and fundraising to support music programs. VH1 was so impressed by everyone’s efforts that they responded again by donating 3 Fender guitars and amplifiers to be used as fundraising tools to help support music education.

We wanted to have the guitars signed by a famous star to raise more money to support music education, so we took the guitars to the American Idols Live! Tour 2009. First Stephanie got to meet the American Idols and take pictures. Then after receiving permission from the American Idols security, publicity and the management at 19 Entertainment, all Top Ten American Idols 2009 signed one very special “save the music” guitar! We were also given a professional digital photo of American Idol Winner Kris Allen and Runner Up Adam Lambert holding our special “save the music” guitar to show the American Idols support of our fundraising efforts and to show that the autographs were authentic. It was one of the greatest and most exciting days of our lives! We were given a very special gift and we felt a great sense of responsibility to do everything possible to support music education!

Inspired by the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, the American Idols and her heritage, Stephanie and her family have continued their support for music education. We have worked to establish a great partnership between everyone who supports music education including the school district, the foundation, school administrators, teachers, parents, staff, students, volunteers, grantees, local businesses, the community and the media. Stephanie has actively participated in concert band and jazz band, has supported numerous music fund raising events at her school and has volunteered at events sponsored by the school district foundation. Over 1,000 people have joined together to support various fundraising events where $30,000. has been raised to support music education at our school. Thousands more have been raised by the foundation. Music students have participated in a school pep rally in support of music, invited school district representatives and members of the media to attend, and sent in cards and letters in support of music education to school board members. Stephanie was recognized as a regional winner of the Kohl’s Kids Who Care Scholarship Program for her extraordinary music fundraising efforts. Stephanie also received a community service award from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. This award included $750. which she donated to the school’s music department to pay for costs associated with producing the school’s annual music fundraiser. An Oregon Cultural Trust grant and matching funds from Ringling Bros. enabled Concert Pianist Michael Allen Harrison and Violinist Aaron Meyer to give a music education assembly and special performance at the school.

Our music education advocacy project has led us on a whirlwind adventure far greater than we could have ever imagined. The best part was seeing how everyone worked together as a team to make a real difference in our community! We would love to win the Battle of the Bands contest to help us continue our support for music education and to honor everyone who has worked so hard to Do Something to help Save the Music!

Our family has a passion and love for music that we would like to pass on to future generations. We realize the importance of music education to the development of future musicians. When our own school music program was in jeopardy, we saw the critical need to Do Something to Save the Music and to raise awareness about the importance of music education. Schools across the country are losing their music programs and if we don’t take action, then future generations may lose some of the benefits of music that we now take for granted. We support Do Something.org because we believe in empowering young people to use their time, energy and creativity to support causes through community service that will make our world a better place to live. We encourage everyone to support music education by checking out vh1savethemusic.com and supportmusic.com where they have great resources regarding the benefits of music, student-centered advocacy and even a community toolkit! Please read how one young girl and her family have supported music education based on using these resources and support our Battle of the Bands entry by “liking” this submission on Facebook or “sharing” this submission on Twitter. Together, we can support music education and help future generations to experience all the benefits that music brings to our lives!

Stephanie was inspired by the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, the American Idols, her family's dedication to music education and the support of everyone associated with this effort. Stephanie’s grandparents were music teachers who dedicated their lives to music education and community service. We would like to carry on their legacy.

There is an ongoing need for advocacy projects which serve to raise awareness about the importance of music education in the schools, the need for fundraising efforts to support music programs, the benefits of music for students and the need to keep music education strong for future generations.