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4TH STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 715 FOURTH STREET ATHENS, GA 30601 (706) 369-1893 April 7, 2000 To Whom It May Concern: I am pleased to write this letter in support of Pam Blanchard and the Sunny Side Band in their application for a grant to support music instruction in the Clarke County Schools. Last week our students and staff got a small taste of what Pam has to offer when she performed at our school arts festival. Her selection of music and ability to interact with an audience ranging from pre-school to fifth grade created a positive, productive, and thoroughly enjoyable educational experience for all. Ms. Blanchard's proposal for the grant would provide experiences such as this one for pre-k and first grade students throughout our school district. Because many of our families and schools cannot afford to take children to see professional performances, a grant which would bring such a talented group into the schools would provide an extremely valuable enrichment experience for children. The grant would fund a Sunny Side Band concert for children in pre-k and first grade and two workshops for teachers. In a pre-concert workshop teachers would receive a set list for the concert and a CD and tape of the music students would hear in order to prepare the students for the performance. The workshop would focus on concert manners, vocabulary related to the performance, an introduction to the 13 instruments used by the band, and instruction in the use of positive discipline. The concert itself would be structured around research related to the role of music, particularly the importance of the live, human singing voice, in the brain development of young children. The lyrics of all songs have been developed around a positive worldview, and the concert would be structured to be highly interactive. A post-concert workshop for teachers would follow the concert. At that time teachers would provide feedback on the concert, learn more about brain development as it relates to music, and receive a tape of singable songs for classroom use. A grant to support such a program would be of great benefit to our schools, teachers, and students. Ms. Blanchard's commitment to nurturing an appreciation for and understanding of the importance of music in child development is greatly appreciated. I am confident that this program would make a significant contribution to the education of children in Clarke County. Sincerely, Teresa B. Hobson Principal Carrie L. Gantt Assistant Principal
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