Music in Schools Today has an online music mentors program, in which students from anywhere in the world can e-mail questions to over a dozen professional performers and behind-the-scenes music industry specialists. From opera divas to artist agency presidents, a diverse group of music professionals is available for online mentoring.

Guitar Workshops with "Guitars Not Guns" KidStage at Stern Grove Don Miggs' Songwriting Workshops AfroReggae Workshop Loco Bloco at Alonzo King's LINES Ballet Gail Dobson's "Milk, Cookies and Jazz" Music Mentors at Malcolm X Academy "How to Survive in the Music Business" Music Mentors at Glide Left: Legendary jazz drummer Louie Bellson teaches a Music Mentor workshop in 2003 (Photo: Mars Breslow)

Guitar Workshops with "Guitars Not Guns"
Music in Schools Today is collaborating with fellow non-profit organization Guitars Not Guns to provide free 8-week guitar lessons to students. In addition to receiving free lessons, at the end of the series, each student is able to keep their guitar, in addition to receiving a Certificate of Achievement. Check out our online photo album of the fall '05 and the summer '06 class at the Boys & Girls Club of the Excelsior in San Francisco, as well as their graduation pics!

We currently have three Bay area sites for these 8-week classes:

• Boys & Girls Club of the Excelsior, San Francisco
  See the web page for this site on the Guitars Not Guns website.
  Wednesdays, 5:00 ~ 6:00 p.m.

• Police Activities League Community Center, Redwood City
  See the web page for this site on the Guitars Not Guns website.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Community Center, San Mateo

We would like to sincerely thank Alan Schacter of San Mateo and B Street Music for generously sponsoring all of the gear for these classes in the past! And, we're very excited to announce that in April 2006, Gibson Guitars agreed to a three-year sponsorship of these classes!

In the fall of 2005, the San Francisco students had a special guest teacher, Samantha Stollenwerck, whose single "Frank Sinatra" from her debut record, "Square One," is included on the KFOG Local Scene 2 CD, which benefits Music in Schools Today. Samantha also recently graced the cover of Play Guitar magazine. All of the students really enjoyed her visit! In the photo at left, Samantha visits after class with the Wong kids, clad in their Guitars Not Guns t-shirts.

KidStage at Stern Grove
Music in Schools Today was invited by the Stern Grove Festival to teach two of their new KidStage programs for children before each main stage performance. On August 5, we taught percussion with drum circles prior to the Hugh Masekela and Goapele concert, and on August 19, we taught a children's opera workshop prior to the performance by the San Francisco Opera (online photo album). In addition to these workshops, we also have an outreach booth at all Stern Grove performances, where we give out information about MuST, as well as accepting instrument donations for our Adopt an Instrument program.

Don Miggs' Songwriting Workshops
In addition to being a Board member for MuST, Don Miggs takes time from his busy touring schedule to conduct songwriting workshops for schools while he's on the road, as well as at home. In Don's words, "The workshop is about life, ultimately. We speak about how powerful words are and the importance of what we say and how we say it. We discuss the consequences of our actions and living a life full of integrity and intent." Don's workshops are always informative and insightful, prompting many thank you letters, such as this one from Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, California. Watch the video of Don speaking to the students of Benicia High School in Benicia, California in March of 2007.

Don Miggs leading a Songwriting Workshop at
Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School in St. Helena, CA

AfroReggae Workshop
Brazilian superstars AfroReggae led a very special Music Mentors workshop for us on August 22, 2007, for the kids in the Rec Connect program of the Hunters Point Family. The kids watched the award-winning documentary about AfroReggae's music therapy program in the slums of Rio, Favela Rising (watch the online preview or the YouTube video) followed by a Q&A session with AfroReggae founder Anderson Sa and other band members. The event took place at the Red Poppy Art House.

Four members of Destiny Arts were in attendance at their show the following night at the Great American Music Hall as well, courtesy of AfroReggae.

Anderson Sa of AfroReggae with Mary Destri
and Erin Kenny of Music in Schools Today.

Loco Bloco at Alonzo King's LINES Ballet

On November 10, 2007, we brought a dozen kids plus chaperones from San Francisco youth drum and dance troupe Loco Bloco to see Alonzo King's Lines Ballet! After the performance, the kids got to go backstage to meet Alonzo and the dancers! We would like to thank Alonzo King and David Dunlop for donating the tickets to us! View the online photo album!

Gail Dobson's "Milk, Cookies and Jazz"

First held as a series in 2004 at Club Jazz Nouveau, this interactive, hands-on workshop, designed for young people ages eight and up, covers swing, vocal scat, and Latin music styles. Students are introduced to a variety of percussion instruments and learn how to play them in a group setting. Students also learn to scat sing over a 12-bar blues and other simple forms, incorporating the call and response method. This lively workshop ends with milk and cookies for all!

Music Mentors at Malcolm X Academy
During the 2002~03 school year, Music in Schools Today began collaborating with Alison Brown, CMP Media's Community Connections Manager, to arrange for the New Century Chamber Orchestra to hold a series of music workshops for the students of Malcolm X Academy in San Francisco's Hunters Point neighborhood.

Since then, New Century has increased its activities with the students of Malcolm X, providing in-class presentations to third and fourth grade students. New Century also provides a few musically promising students with private, one-on-one instruction.

Music in Schools Today's first workshop at Malcolm X was in the spring of 2001, with a very successful all-school assembly on the basic concepts of music, led by jazz bassist and composer Marcus Shelby. Putting their newfound understanding of music to work, brave students volunteered to go onstage and create rhythm, harmony, and even some improv spoken word, much to the delight of their classmates and teachers!

"How to Survive in the Music Business"
In the fall of 2002, MuST kicked off their annual "How to Survive in the Music Business" workshops in the East Bay at Yoshi's, featuring legendary jazz producer Orrin Keepnews, jazz saxophonist Dave Ellis, and Yoshi's Director of Publicity and Marketing Marshall Lamm.

The series has since moved to The Jazzschool in Berkeley. At our last workshop in April of 2004, the following six music professionals shared their wisdom with riveted students: Larry Batiste ~ producer, performer & songwriter; Dick Bright ~ big band leader & violinist, Mike Greensill ~ jazz pianist & arranger; Mike Kappus ~ president of The Rosebud Agency; Orrin Keepnews ~ legendary jazz producer & writer; and Marshall Lamm ~ Director of Publicity & Marketing for Yoshi's jazz club.

Larry Batiste, Orrin Keepnews and Dick Bright at The Jazzschool panel

The following day, one of the participants e-mailed, "I went to the 'How To Survive The Music Business' workshop, and the info I got really cleared my head and helped me set my priorities... I just want to let you know that I just experienced a once in a lifetime opportunity to speak with such great people. Thank you for setting that class up."

Hip Hop performers Chad Reed, aka The Poetician, and Josh Klor, aka DJ Funklor,
address students at the teen program at Glide during a Hip Hop Music Mentors workshop.