ALLIANCE FOR MUSICAL ARTS PRODUCTIONS INC

The goal of AFMA is to introduce musical and theatrical arts to children, youth and families who typically do not have access to the arts due to their residing in inner-city neighborhoods that bear a disproportionate share of the ecology of economic disadvantage. Programming is currently delivered in community settings in the City of Hallandale Beach and Miami-Dade County (Miami Gardens, West Perrine and Overtown) and includes a variety of musical arts activities, classes and performance opportunities.

This year-round percussion drum program offers participants the opportunity to develop musical arts and applied percussion skills, while encouraging self-expression and high-level (right-brain/left-brain) thinking, in a non-threatening, safe, adult supervised and secure environment.

YDL has proven to be a productive use of “out-of-school" time, while encouraging teamwork, responsibility and conflict resolution skills that last a lifetime. Research has shown that youth who do not participate in out-of-school programs are three times more likely to participate in antisocial behaviors, such as drug and alcohol use, gang involvement and criminal activity (Afterschool Alert, Issue Brief No. 27, April 2007). While quality out-of-school programs are a powerful antidote to adolescent malfeasance, allowing participants to develop new skills and interact positively with peers, musical arts in particular has been shown to serve as a coping mechanism for at-risk students dealing with familial distress (i.e., broken families, abuse, living in high-crime communities) while simultaneously improving their well-being and academic enrichment (Impact of Art Education on At-Risk Students, Boston University, 2009).

The relevant interest in this area includes STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math); many researchers promote the availability of musical arts programming for all youth, referencing its impact on right-brain/left-brain learning (right brain being the center of creative, while left brain being the seat of language and more logical). The benefits of percussion, as promoted through participation in YDL, include increases in memory, concentration, focus and coordination.

STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Registration: While participants are assessed at enrollment through a pre-test and survey, all students are accepted regardless of musical ability.

Instructor (1) Applied Music Theory: 30-minute classes in musical note value and recognition, time signatures, key signatures, percussive signatures.

Instructor (2) Musical Sight Reading: 30-minute classes in reading 24 basic percussion rudiments; percussion sight reading for snare, tenor, bass drums, cymbals; and percussion musical abbreviations.

Instructor (3) Musical Composition: 15-minute classes in recognition of percussion abbreviations, cadence writing and drum cadence composition.

Instructor (4) Percussion Skill Develop 45-minute sessions in applied rudiment and percussion skill development

Fieldtrips: Participation in four community events and/or festivals.

Responsible for the overall project: Jo Ann Harris, Director

1 Student Intern Assists instructors in classroom and attends all scheduled field trips.
4 Student Volunteer Rcv. comm. service hrs. to assist youth who need extra percussion practice.
1 Proj. Supervisor Oversees classroom instruction and participant assessments.
1 Clerical Support Assists all program staff as needed.
1 Program Director Compiles/analyzes programmatic data/monthly reports, fiscal oversight.


Administrative Strategy:

Month 1: Execution of contract, confirm insurance/site availability, background screenings, transport musical instruments to site, student

Month 2 - 3: Staff orientation and training (i.e., lesson plans and survey procedures) Conduct pretest

Month 4 - 8: Conduct Mid-test. Submit monthly reports, program evaluation, monitor program site. Schedule four field trips/community performances
Month 9 - 12: Prepare and submit all required close-out documents for all funding sources.

AFMA is, by intention, a small 501(c)(3) that has become an establish organization with in Miami-Dade and Broward County. Our goal is to work with our youth to develop responsible, contributing citizens of our community . We have done that by working closely with the students and families and tracking their progress over a 10 to 15 year period. We use music as a tool to teach self-reliance, personal responsibility, team building as well as give the students the skills needed to have a more production middle and high school experience.

As a result we have seen 75% of our students continue in post-secondary studies by receiving both a music and academic scholarship for university.

Since the outcomes and evaluations have been successful we want to continue to hone our skills and staff development to truly be a benefit to our children and this community.

AFMA pursues grant opportunities and funding with local businesses, service contracts City of Miami Gardens along with state and local government programs. We plan to extend our reach to a broader pool of dollars from digital marketing and campaigns.

AFMA will be able to provide services, thanks to a grant award from the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs and The Children's Trust.

AFMA was awarded a Capacity Building grant from The Children's Trust, a component of which is the development of a three-year sustainability plan for the organization inclusive of fundraising and Board development activities. Within the capacity building effort, AFMA is allocated consultant support in the areas of program evaluation, marketing/public relations, fiscal management and grant writing.

This has allowed AFMA to build the capacity needed to continue our programming far into the future.