North Irving Orchestra Scholarship

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North Irving Orchestra Scholarship

• Nickie Weaver, Dir. Grant Services,
• Dr. Alfred Green,
• Heather Blonco,
• Sam Lyle

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The Project
Children as young as eight years old come to
MacArthur High School Orchestra Director Heather
Blancos concerts and watch and listen with
fascination as the music sweeps them away. After
the concert, the children touch the instruments
with hope shining in their eyes. Heather wants to
keep connecting those hopes with possibilities.
Heather dreams of the day when she will be able
to once again offer special musical training for
those children who show interest and ability but
whose families are not able to afford private
music lessons for them.
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Irving ISD

• Irving Independent School Districts vision is
  to be the premier provider of educational
  services that meets the needs of every student.
  The Districts mission is to cultivate the
  skills of learning, thinking and communicating.
  Mastering an instrument and owning the voice of
  music allows musicians

to communicate universally, beyond the
constraints of language.
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Other Benefits

Even more, research shows that learning music can
improve spatial reasoning and improve performance
in reading and mathematics. Statistics show that
learning to read and perform music increases
standardized test scores. In fact, the students
of the Texas All-State Orchestra earn higher SAT
scores than any other student group in Texas
All-State music students consistently score over
200 points higher on the SAT than non-music
students, indicating that high performing
students have a strong interest in pursuing
serious music interests while excelling in other
academic areas (Texas Music Educators
Association Survey, 1988-98).
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Importance of Learning Music
Our proof of the value of music education is
verified by Dr. Alfred Green, Director of fine
Arts for the Irving Independent School District
More and more, we are seeing music educators use
the value of "music for music's sake" as the
primary justification with the brain research and
learning theory as supporting documentation.
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More Reasons
Whether music becomes a professional career,
an active hobby or a cultivated interest, theyll
always have it as a friend and companion. They
learn the self-confidence that comes from
performing for an audience. -Time Magazine, Nov.
22, 2004, Sound of Music
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Past Programs
Irving Independent School District is a leader in
educational excellence and innovation.

• Recently awarded an 800,000 grant from the state
  of Texas to implement a technology immersion
  program to provide an individual computer for
  each student
• Two other schools have recently won a 21st
  Century Community Learning Center grant
• Another high school has recently won 150,000 to
  address struggling high school students

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More Past Programs
-21st Century Community Learning Center program
to serve economically disadvantaged and
academically at-risk students -MacArthur
successfully conducted a similar private music
lesson program however, funding for the program
has disappeared
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Target Group
Of the 54 students in the MacArthur High School
Orchestra, six are economically disadvantaged.
At Travis Middle School, five, and at Houston
Middle School, fourteen. These twenty-five
children are the ones who will directly,
immediately, and individually benefit from funded
private lessons.
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Instrumental Purpose
The resources necessary to conduct this project
successfully that are in place are facilities,
school staff, administration, private music
teachers, materials, instruments, scheduling
arrangements and students. Only funding is still
needed--5,250. Lesson cost 15.00 per
week Fundraising - 7.50 per week Scholarship
7.50 25 scholarships X 7.50 5,250