Maryland Citizens for the Arts

--Composer John Adams, excerpter from his recent commencement address to The Juiliiard. Brilliant and inspiring...read the full text of the address here: http://www.nonesuch.com/journal/john-adams-address-the-juilliard-school-106th-commencement-ceremony-2011-05-23

Continuing our trend of posting items related to arts education lately, here is apart one of a blog post on the NAHS. Does your local high school have a chapter? Why not?

A pdf of a brochure created by VH1's Save The Music campaign describing 25 distinct things teachers can do to advocate for music education at their school. Great and thorough list!!

Article and video about a collaborative program in Frederick, MD between arts organization The Delaplaine and Maryland State's Department for the Aging - arts therapy for seniors with alzheimer's disease.

Today and tomorrow there is a national Boy Choir Festival taking place in Baltimore. As a tribute, we're posting this video of a photographic montage put to beautiful singing from the Maryland State Boy Choir.

This is a quotation from Willa Cather's novel The Song of the Lark. It's a beautiful thought the protagonist (Thea Kronborg, an opera singer) has while looking at some old pottery shards.

Maryland for Dance created this PSA video called "Why I Dance." We think it's pretty great, don't you?

From the WHite House blog - this entry is from Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. She writes about the President and First Lady's belief in the need for arts education.

As arts advocates, we at MCA focus on the importance of public support for the arts, but we musn't forget the importance of funders and organizations to have long-term fiscal responsibility in mind.

NASAA (National Association of State Arts Agencies) sent out this informative recap of NEA Chairman's testimony at a Congressional hearing yesterday.

A short post from the Utne reader about author Arlene Goldbard's views on artists helping to fuel the economy.

Via Flickr: A brass quartet from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra graciously agreed to join arts supporters awaiting the cortege stop at the Washington Monument. Their playing was beautiful and helped capture the mood of grateful remembrance. One of the trumpeters brought his son along (pictured at left) to soak in the event as well.

A good short overview of the current state of public funding for the arts across the U.S.

--Albert Einstein

More info on their situation: http://www.pottsmerc.com/articles/2011/04/08/news/doc4d9f0faf204ac326435640.txt