The Albany Gazette - Let Music Fill My World Expands Music Education at Parmelee Avenue Elementary School with New Teacher Hire

Let Music Fill My World was introduced to Parmelee Elementary through a referral from last year's individual winner of the Music Matters Challenge, Jesse Robitalle, who identified the school as being in need of musical support. This connection enabled the nonprofit to bring meaningful musical resources to a deserving community.

Music education has long been underfunded in schools, leaving many students without access to the creative and developmental benefits of learning music. Studies have shown that music education enhances cognitive abilities, improves academic performance, and fosters social and emotional growth. Music education is also correlated with a range of 21st-century skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, innovation and collaboration. Unfortunately, budget constraints have led to the reduction or elimination of music programs in many schools, particularly in under-resourced communities.

Let Music Fill My World is actively working to change this reality. By partnering with schools like Parmelee Avenue Elementary and hosting the Music Matters Challenge, they are ensuring that students receive the music education they deserve. The newly hired music teacher will help students imagine what is possible through the imagination and creative thinking sparked in the classroom.

In his recent book The Life Impossible, Matt Haig spotlighted music: "She explained her love of music to me. 'It makes the world bigger, she said […] 'I feel like I am trapped in a box sometimes and when I am playing piano or singing, I break out of that box for a while. Music to me is like a friend that comes in just when you need it."

According to Cayley Tull, co-founder of Let Music Fill My World and president of the Tullman Family Office, music education unlocks more than meaningful connection. "Academic and technical skills alone are not enough to prepare our youth for the demands of the 21st-century workplace. Regular access to high-quality music and arts education expands the tools students need to succeed in school, work and life."

"Feeling music is a powerful force that allows you to dream. A full-time music teacher will empower our Parmelee Scholars to believe, achieve and set goals for the future," says Principal Ferguson, Principal of Parmelee.

"I had the chance to sing for the students at Parmelee last Christmas, and their energy and spirit were unforgettable," says Jesse Robitaille, the 2024 winner of the Music Matters Challenge. "As an under-resourced school, every child there deserves the chance to grow through music, and I'm honored this grant will help make that possible. Thank you, LMFMW, for investing in their future."

The expansion of Parmelee Avenue Elementary's music program is just one of many initiatives Let Music Fill My World is undertaking to bring the magic of music to more students. The nonprofit continues to seek new partnerships and funding opportunities to support music education in schools across the country.

For more information about Let Music Fill My World and its initiatives, please visit https://letmusicfillmyworld.com/.

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ABOUT LET MUSIC FILL MY WORLD:

"Let Music Fill My World" was born in 2023 when Tullman Family Office (TFO) teamed up with Grammy-nominated artist John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting to empower students at Farragut Career Academy in Chicago. Ondrasik and eight students co-wrote the song, with the students contributing the lyrics, passionately expressing their personal connection to music. Despite evidence showing that music programs boost test scores, reduce disciplinary issues, and improve graduation rates, arts education continues to face cuts in lower-income urban schools, often being the first to go during budget constraints. "Let Music Fill My World" is on a mission to change that, supporting sustainable music funding and changing lives in the process.

ABOUT FIVE FOR FIGHTING / JOHN ONDRASIK:

In the two decades since Five for Fighting's first major single, "Superman (It's Not Easy)," hit the stratosphere, Five For Fighting (aka John Ondrasik), has released six studio LPs, including the platinum-certified "America Town'' and "The Battle for Everything;" and the top-10 charting "Two Lights," along with an EP and live albums. A post 9-11 anthem, Ondrasik performed "Superman (It's Not Easy)," at the 2001 Concert for New York, a benefit show at Madison Square Garden that honored first responders and the fallen about a month after the tragic September 11th attacks. Ondrasik has penned major hits, including the chart-topping "100 Years," "The Riddle," "Chances," "World," and "Easy Tonight," which have earned tens of millions of streams and placed him as a top-10 Hot Adult Contemporary artist for the 2000s. The reflective "100 Years" has joined "Superman (It's Not Easy)" as part of the American Songbook and continues to stand the test of time. Five For Fighting's music has also been featured in more than 350 films, television shows, and commercials, including the Oscar-winning "The Blind Side," "Hawaii Five-O," "The Sopranos," and the CBS drama, "Code Black." For more information visit: www.fiveforfighting.com.

ABOUT THE TULLMAN FAMILY OFFICE:

The Tullman Family Office (TFO) directs the Chicago-based Tullman family's philanthropy, political advocacy, business investments focused on social impact, and community engagement initiatives. We partner with visionary leaders, grassroots organizations, and creative thinkers to move beyond incremental progress - reimagining resources, accelerating impact, and activating collective solutions that advance equity and opportunity for all. For more information about TFO's philanthropic work, visit: https://www.tullmanfamilyoffice.org/

PUBLICITY CONTACTS

Cassie Zebisch-Schienle | [email protected]
Abbey Kovacevich | [email protected]

SOURCE: Let Music Fill My World

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

(A.Johnson--TAG)