SR-02-24-2015-13BME
Council Meeting: February 24, 2015 Santa Monica, California
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE — MEMORANDUM
To: City Council
From: Mayor McKeown, Mayor Pro Tern Vazquez and Councilmember Winterer
Date: February 24, 2015
13 -13: Request of Mayor McKeown, Mayor Pro Tern Vazquez, and Councilmember
Winterer that the Council allocate from its contingency fund $10,000 to the
Santa Monica Arts Parents Association/Vocal Music, a 501(c)(3) non - profit,
to support scholarships enabling all members of the Samohi Madrigal
Ensemble and Chamber Singers, including those from lower- income
families, to participate in this April's ten -day tour of cathedrals and historic
venues in Brussels, Amsterdam, and Paris.
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13-B
2/24/15
Dear Mayor Mckeown, Mayor Pro Tempore Vazquez and
esteemed City Council Members,
I am writing today on behalf of the Santa Monica High
School Choral Music Program. I am sure you know that
Samohi's five choirs are among the most accomplished in
the region, winning awards and participating in state and
national competitions.
You may have heard them sing recently, perhaps at
Senator Ben Allen's Oath of Office Ceremony, or Main
Street's Annual Tree - Lighting Ceremony, or the Montana
Walk, or at the recent Festival of Carols at the Pico
Branch Library. Our choirs, representing Santa Monica,
have performed in major cities around the world. Closer
to home, we share the gift of music with our city by
performing at community events, and caroling for
holiday shoppers.
Every two years, as you probably know, our two advanced
choirs the Madrigal Ensemble and Chamber Singers have
remarkable opportunities for educational travel. This
year, in April, these two groups and our Bravo award -
winning Director, Jeffe Huls, will tour Europe for ten
days, singing in cathedrals and in historic venues in
Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris. Students learn the
history of these remarkable old -world places, engage with
locals in the arts communities, visit museums and
historical sites, including the Anne Frank House in
Amsterdam, and recently one more exciting concert was
added - -in Notre Dame!
Our Madrigals and Chamber Ensemble are a diverse
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group of highly accomplished students, and you would be
very proud of the way they represent our city and our
high school; indeed, they act as good will ambassadors
for Santa Monica. We believe that every one of our 6o
students reaching this level of proficiency should have
the opportunity to take this once -in -a- lifetime trip,
regardless of his or her ability to pay.
Our Choral Steering booster club (SMAPA -Vocal
Music) executes fundraising activities including showcase
concerts, candy sales, a silent auction event and
performance events the students themselves plan, in
order to fund scholarships. The students themselves have
been working hard to raise money for they want each of
their fellow choir members to have the same
opportunities that they have.
The Santa Monica City Council has been very generous
with our traveling choirs, bands and orchestras. We are
greatly appreciative of the support of our City officials
have provided over the years, making this type of
educational travel possible for so many who could not
otherwise afford the opportunity!
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Many thanks for your continued support of our Santa
Monica students and our excellent choral music program.
Warmly,
mouln
2/24/15
Patti Braun
President, Santa Monica High School Choral Steering
Committee
310 621 -7119