MIAMI, FL December 17, 2014 – As part of an ongoing collaboration, The Johnny Mercer Foundation (JMF) in partnership with Florida International University’s School of Music (FIU) recently hosted a workshop titled “Enriching Your Language Arts and Music Program Through Lyric Writing” at ARTS@FIU Day. The second of these joint ventures designed to enrich music education in Miami-Dade County schools, the Accentuate The Positive (ATP) workshop focused on developing innovative educational opportunities, delivering high-quality instructional materials and providing professional development opportunities for local music and language arts teachers.
Among those in attendance were the four FIU graduate students pursuing a Master’s in music education through scholarships awarded by JMF — Oliver Diez, Ryan Ellis, Kadhine Gonzalez and William Jenkins. They are extending the existing curriculum and writing new programs based on the life and works of Johnny Mercer. The fellows are working teachers in the Miami-Dade Public School District at the elementary, middle and high school levels, overseeing classrooms which are a microcosm of the world-wide diversity present in our area.
Over 12,000 JMF supplemental student activity guides were distributed to the 150 music teachers in attendance, providing invaluable material for instruction and curriculum development in music education. According to Bryan Petorak, the District Supervisor for Performing Arts for the MDCPS, “as the 4th largest school system in the U.S., partnering with outstanding institutions like FIU and the JMF, for innovative music education curriculum, is a natural.” Sari Rose Barron, the Project Director for the Accentuate The Positive Los Angeles program, led the workshop on how to implement the ATP Program. Dianne Thurman, JMF Education Committee Chair, spoke about the work of the Foundation and expressed her gratitude to the music teachers who have committed to teach the ATP Program.
Also in attendance was Jon Brielle, Vice President of JMF, who was delighted at the success of the mutually beneficial program. Brian Schriner, Dean of FIU’s College of Architecture + The Arts, which houses the School of Music, summed up the goodwill engendered by the event, saying “What a perfect fit. FIU joining with JMF has proved to be powerful in so many positive ways. The upside for students interested in pursuing a career in music is incalculable and working with JMF is a definite plus for all involved, students and educators alike.”
For more information on The Johnny Mercer Foundation or FIU’s School of Music, please contact Mario Sancarranco at mario@gohrmc.com or call 305-573-0882.
About The Johnny Mercer Foundation:
The mission of the Johnny Mercer Foundation (JMF) is to support the discipline of songwriting in the tradition of the Great American Songbook as exemplified by the life and work of the legendary Johnny Mercer: lyricist, composer, performer, collaborator and producer. The Foundation continues Johnny’s legacy by partnering with individuals and organizations dedicated to celebrating and nourishing the disciplines he mastered and the causes he and his wife Ginger Mercer championed.
JMF has created a number of dynamic creative joint ventures with several prestigious institutions to facilitate our goals including; the Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals, Accentuate The Positive Programs (New York-Kaufman Music Center, Los Angeles and Miami), The Musical Theater Program at NJPAC, Georgia State University Fellowship Program, Florida International University Fellowship Program, the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project with Northwestern University. And the Johnny Mercer Archives at Georgia State University, In addition, JMF also supports various charitable causes including UCLA’s Art of The Brain, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (Mark Taper and Johnny Mercer Artists Program), Braille Institute (Johnny Mercer Children and Adult Choirs) and KCET TVs Cinema Series.
For more information please visit www.johnnymercerfoundation.org
About the FIU School of Music:
The FIU School of Music offers the ideal environment to inspire future generations of musicians and educators for diverse musical careers in the 21st century. We prepare our students for diverse careers as teachers, performers, composers and scholars. Our internationally-renowned faculty and staff, combined with our intellectual curiosity and engaged creative spirit, is what inspires the FIU School of Music’s pursuit of interdisciplinary global knowledge.
For more information, please visit www.carta.fiu.edu/music
About the College of Architecture + The Arts:
The College of Architecture + The Arts engages our local and global communities by deploying the power of architecture + the arts to create, innovate, and inspire solutions to social, economic, and environmental problems. Offering 9 graduate and 8 undergraduate degrees within 7 academic departments, our more than 2,500 majors have the unique experience working with our award-winning faculty, in nationally ranked programs, in the heart of Miami — one of the country’s most vibrant, diverse, and creative cities!
For more information, visit us at http://carta.fiu.edu/
Media Contact
Company Name: Howard R. Miller Communications
Contact Person: Mario Sancarranco
Email: Send Email
Phone: 3055730882
Address:3009 NE Quayside Lane
City: Miami
State: Florida
Country: United States
Website: http://www.johnnymercerfoundation.org/
Source: www.abnewswire.com
