Voice of the People: Music and Arts Program

As the Councilman of District 4, I have been working on several projects for my community. As a professional educator, I firmly believe that exposure to the Arts is a key ingredient for student success. As a member of this City Council, I immediately began looking for ways that the City can help support a robust Arts curriculum for children. I’m delighted to report that we will soon unveil the first phase of Arts education in the grant funded After School Programs offered through the City in partnership with the Moreno Valley and Val Verde school districts. We’ll be working with our contract provider, THINK Together, to conduct these classes and will put musical instruments purchased with grant funding into the hands of budding musicians. Plato said: “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” I’m extremely excited as this program lifts off…and sparks the imagination of Moreno Valley’s next generation of leaders. As a former musician, I believe our children need access to music/arts programs. I have been working diligently with THINK Together to roll out a proposed music/arts program in March for our after school students. We will start at two middle schools, Palm Middle and Badgers Springs. Badger Springs Middle School is located in District 4. The students at the two schools along with the staff are excited for this opportunity. My vision is to have this program expanded to all 43 school sites, including Val Verde schools. Some may question the reasoning for providing city resources to after school students. However, I believe we have a moral obligation to our children, especially since we have the resources, to take the initiative along with our school district partners to allow our kids an equal opportunity of accessing music and arts.