29 Feb 12 - Rock For Kids

Hey, blogspot readers, let's leap for a good cause! Tonight, SouthSide took some time out to lend her support at a charity event held recently inside the new Highball Lounge (located in the River North area). The goal of this event was to raise donations to return the power of music back to many underserved Chicago Public Schools.

Whether you live in Albany Park or Bucktown ...Roseland or Hegewisch neighborhoods, Rock For Kids through generous support has helped bring music to life by providing free music instruction to elementary school students throughout Chicago. No matter the neighborhood, music access is needed, blogspot readers, despite it being the first program (besides foreign languages, art etc) to get cut from school budgets due to hard economic times. First starting out as an after-school program, each Rock For Kids participant can take classes like choir to songwriting and production or blues workshops and performance choir - all during normal school hours. And according to this non-profit organiztion, the end result has positively transformed lives in which participants unleash their creative potential, turn into better students, musicians, and role models in their schools.

Yet this program does a lot more than have students receiving music instruction, blogspot readers. Each Rock For Kids student also receive a valuable lessons to boost their critical thinking skills, school attendance, grades and social interaction amongst the other students. "...music is a good motivator..." and studies support that statement since its shown children who participate in music education develop more quickly - physically, academically, emotionally and socially. Through the help of donations, this non-profit organization has provided the necessary tools, materials and funds for field trips and instructors. Kids within this program have performed at many public events and venues such as Millennium Park, Park West Theatre, Lollapalooza - just to name a few.

"...March is Music In Our Schools month..." and this organization's goal is to sponsor 30 new students, blogspot readers, by raising $350. That's where you, the readers, join in the fundraising process. What SouthSide found very interesting about Rock For Kids was the way they want to involve not only the members of the local scene ...but ordinary people as well with fun ideas of raising donations. Besides holding monthly events like the one at Highball Lounge, they also offer suggestions of getting friends, family, co-workers etc involved with your own mini Rock For Kids charity events. Ideas that include creating a mix CD ...donations instead of birthday or wedding gifts ...giving up smoking or shaving yourself bald and more. $350 doesn't seem much but that's how much it does take to sponsor a student for a year ...approximately less than $30 a month.

Please help SouthSide's new friends with their goal of teaching the joy and love music to more Chicago Public Schools students. For more information about Rock For Kids, visit http://www.RockForKids.org.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide