This summer, 1,700 student musicians and directors will travel from across the country to “America’s Camp,” the Music for All Summer Symposium presented by Yamaha. One road, in particular, will provide the path for select educators and students from urban city centers to experience the Symposium. Interstate-65, one of the major U.S. highways that travels right through the heart of Indianapolis, will bring together 34 students and 12 teachers from 9 districts along the corridor to take part in an exciting new initiative: the Interstate-65 Corridor Project.

Directors and students from the Corridor will have the opportunity to network, share ideas and resources, and participate in special workshops as part of this unique experience. The newly formed Music for All Urban Education Advisory committee has developed a specialized curriculum geared towards growth and opportunities for these participants, with topics such as team-building, collaboration, and strategic planning.

About the “I-65 Corridor Project”

Music for All, with the generous support of the Country Music Association Foundation, has launched this initiative as the first step towards serving urban music education on a national level. The goals for this initiative include increasing support and fostering positive opportunities for these programs, as well as decreasing barriers often present in core urban school communities like those found along the Corridor.

The I-65 Corridor was chosen for this initiative based on existing relationships with Indianapolis Public Schools, observed challenges and achievements in communities along the Corridor, and Music for All’s organizational capacity to effectively engage new communities in our programming. By providing guidance and ongoing professional development to these music programs, Music for All hopes to enhance musical instruction and performance-based achievement, which will help us realize our ultimate goal of helping build self-sustaining music programs in these communities.

About the Urban Education Advisory Committee

In order to ensure that the efforts of this initiative are relevant and engaging, Music for All has assembled an Urban Education Advisory Committee, a team dedicated to the strategic planning and facilitation of all efforts related to the I-65 Corridor Project. The Committee is composed of six distinguished music educators and industry leaders who not only have experience working with programs similar to those along the Corridor, but also have been recognized as competent music educators, innovative thinkers, and facilitators of comprehensive educational programming. The committee is excited to work with directors and students in the I-65 Corridor Project during the Summer Symposium and throughout the academic year. The team is comprised of the following music education consultants:

  • William J. Earvin, Baker HS, Director of Bands – Baker, LA
  • Zachary Harris, William-Carey University, Assistant Professor of Music Education – Hattiesburg, MS
  • Sybil James, Willowridge HS, Director of Bands – Houston, TX
  • Tim Linley, Dallas Independent School District, Director of Visual & Performing Arts – Dallas, TX
  • Myran Parker-Brass, Boston Public Schools, Executive Director for the Arts – Boston, MA
  • Ayatey Shabazz, Devmusic Publishing Company, LLC, Founder/President & CEO – Biloxi, MS