Music for All continues to assess how we can best serve the needs of school music programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the current uncertainty of many schools’ changing learning environments plus community concerns about safety, Music for All has announced today that it will be unable to present the 2021 Music for All National Festival, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision was made after several months of consultations with music educators and our educational advisors, in the interest of the health, safety, and wellness of all associated with the Festival. The well-being of the students, teachers, volunteers, and communities associated with our programs remains our number one priority. Music for All made the decision at this time out of respect for the planning required for schools and ensembles, and the process of facility and venue preparations.
The impact of COVID-19 on Music for All was initially felt with the early conclusion of our 2020 Festival in March, followed by the subsequent cancellations of our June Summer Symposium and the Bands of America 2020 Championship season. With this decision for the 2021 Festival, we share in the deep disappointment of performing students, teachers, and boosters from schools who were aiming to apply for this prestigious event. We hope that the decision will allow directors to focus their energies on the unique task of teaching this semester and for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year.
Music for All remains committed to providing significant educational programs. We recently announced our remote learning and virtual live performance opportunities for the fall. We will continue to offer these virtual experiences in the winter and spring of 2021. Visit instruction.musicforall.org to learn more and sign up.
Music for All is launching special donation campaigns in October and November, in order to sustain the organization through the impact of the pandemic and to continue to offer our educational programs. “We hope that our followers and participants will watch for these special fundraising events, culminating with a special online event with special guests on November 14,” said Neil Larrivee, Vice President of Mission Advancement. Details will be announced soon on the upcoming donation campaigns.
Thank you to all of the music educators, clinicians, event staff, volunteers, and donors who have supported Music for All during this difficult time. We continue to work toward – and look forward to – the time when we can gather in person to make music together again.
