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SR-01-22-2013-13FJanuary 22, 2013 CITY CLERK'S OFFICE - MEMORANDUM To: City Council From: Councilmember McKeown Date: January 22, 2013 13 -F: Request of Councilmember McKeown that the Council allocate $8,000 from the Council contingency fund as a matching grant to the Santa Monica Arts Parents Association, a SMMUSD- independent 501(c)3, to spur further fundraising to help cover the expenses for students from lower- income families to participate in the Santa Monica High School Wind Ensemble's March 2013 concert in historic Chicago Symphony Hall, at the Chicago International Music Festival, to which the Ensemble has been invited as a featured performer. January, 16, 2013 Dear Council Members, w4rdwe Item 13 -F 01/22/13 601 Pico Santa Monica, CA 90405 samohiband.org Kevin McKeown, Director of Bands Terry Sakow, Director of Bands For the first time in 6 years, The Santa Monica High School Wind Ensemble, is preparing for a tour. Finally! We have been invited to play in the 2013 Chicago International Music Festival which will take place this March in historic Chicago Symphony Hall. This tour will be a rich educational experience and will show case the outstanding music program in the Santa Monica - Malibu Public Schools. Our outstanding students will indeed be ambassadors for the City of Santa Monica. High School bands are generally relegated to daytime performances but after hearing the mature sound of our Wind Ensemble, we were invited to play in the evening program with the college bands. We will be the only high school band in the evening program. And, as if that wasn't enough, Chris Martin, principal trumpet for the Chicago Symphony, will be performing the Artounian Trumpet Concerto with our Wind Ensemble. As some of you may know, The Chicago Symphony performed much of the music for Steven Spielberg's hit film, "Lincoln" and it is Chris Martin whose trumpet solos you hear throughout the film. In addition to the performance opportunities on this trip, the group will travel to Northwestern University and enjoy a masterclass with the world- renowned teacher and band director, Dr. Mallory Thompson. This truly is the opportunity of a lifetime. The Concert Bands lay claim to some of the most accomplished students at SAMOHI. An astonishing 86% of them matriculate directly into competitive four -year institutions, compared to the 55% of SAMOHI students overall, and 20% of California public school students. These kids should be celebrated. The SAMOHI Wind Ensemble has 58 members, many of whom have been able to put enough money aside to pay for this trip. However, a small number of talented and deserving students, need our assistance. To help defray these travel expenses, the Band Parents Association is vigorously fundraising in hopes of closing the gap. We have just completed a Practice- A -Thon and are planning a gala event at the Broad Stage on February 27th to raise funds. We are also asking that each student do his or her own personal letter writing campaign to offset their trip costs. But the price tag for our scholarship students and the cost of sending the required administrators, chaperones and instruments, is still very high and we anticipate a need of $16,000 to meet our goal. We are here to ask for half of that amount and your blessing. We hope that a City "matching grant" will prompt others to We are part of the Santa Monica Arts Parents Association, a 501(c)(3) non - profit organization: Tax ID Numbe 95- 2563339. donate and will be used to help our 501 c3, The Santa Monica Arts Parents Association - SAMOHI Bands, underwrite the costs for students whose lower- income families can't make the payments themselves, insuring that all members of the Wind Ensemble will be able to participate. The benefits of this trip to the larger community are many. In addition to making beautiful music, the students tour experiences go viral, inspiring others to reach for the top. And we are always raising the profile of the SAMOHI Band Program showing the community that through their commitment to music and arts education, great things happen. We will be preparing a video with photographs and concert music from the tour to thank the Council and the City of Santa Monica for their support and will proudly recap our trip at our Spring Pops concert. We are finally ready to share this extraordinarily talented group of musicians with the world as other SAMOHI performing groups have. Band Director Terry Sakow is excited for this opportunity and Kevin McKeown, our incredible new Band Director, came through the door at the right time! Both agree that this year's band, recognized as one of the best in the state of California, is ready. We hope that the City Council will recognize these outstanding, diligent, hard - working student musicians and show them with this gift that they are valued members of our community and a credit to the City of Santa Monica. From the bottom of our tubas, thank you! Sincerely, Robb Brown Santa Monica High School Band Parents Association Fundraising Chair We are pad of the Santa Monica Arts Parents Association, a 501(c)(3) non - profit organization: Tax ID Number 95- 2503339.