(l-r) John Huie, co-Head CAA Nashville and CMA Foundation Board member; Ed Hardy, CMA Board Chairman; Ron Samuels, Chairman & CEO of Avenue Bank and CMA Foundation Vice Chairman; Frank Bumstead, Chairman of Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc. and CMA Board President; Jim Mallory, Executive Director of Rocketown; Lon Helton, publisher and CEO of Country Aircheck and CMA Foundation Board member; Sarah Trahern, CMA CEO.
Photo Credit: Donn Jones / CMA
The Vice Chairman of the CMA Foundation, Ron Samuels, presented a check for $39,500 to advance music education at Rocketown in Middle Tennessee. The presentation was made during the quarterly CMA Board of Directors meetings in Nashville and was accompanied by a performance from children in the Rocketown program.
“It is invaluable for our Board members to experience the life-changing impact these programs have on young people,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “The grants made by the CMA Foundation are an investment in youth through music.”
“The music education program at Rocketown is called Rocketown Productions and it serves to engage our participants in the development of multimedia projects that guide them to find their voice, tell their stories, develop skills, and be empowered to affect positive change in their lives and communities,” added Jim Mallory, Executive Director of Rocketown.
In existence for 20 years, Rocketown of Middle Tennessee serves young people between the ages of eight and 22 of all ethnic, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds. In 2013, Rocketown served more than 110,000 youth encounters through their after school programs, skatepark experiences, and concerts.
Children from Rocketown’s music program perform at a reception Wednesday night during the CMA Board meeting in Nashville.
Photo Credit: Donn Jones / CMA
The Rocketown Productions grant is designed to provide access to technology (ProTools, Logic, Machine); equipment in a professional studio setting (recording, producing, and mixing); live performance and music instruction that will give the kids the skills and confidence they need to pursue a career in the music industry.
To date, the CMA Foundation has awarded nearly $10 million to organizations that support music education across the United States. The funds are donated on behalf of the artists who support CMA Music Festival each June, meeting fans and performing for free.
CMA created the nonprofit (501C3) CMA Foundation in 2011. The Foundation exists to provide financial support to worthwhile causes that are important to CMA and the Country Music community. The group places special emphasis on serving the needs of CMA’s core constituents and nonprofit organizations with initiatives that preserve the legacy of the format, support music education, and respond to other needs identified by CMA.
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