As the end-of-year Giving Cycle wraps up for 2022, Music in the Mountains (MIM), one of Nevada County’s Classical Music Performance and Education Non-profits, is excited to announce that they are recipients of three arts education grants from the California Arts Council.
The Council officially announced its second round of grant awards for 2022, with funds for Cycle B totaling more than $41 million for more than 900 grants supporting artists, culture bearers, and cultural workers throughout the state of California. MIM was granted $146,000 over two years to support youth music education programs in Western Nevada County.
Cycle B’s programs include five funding opportunities for arts education and creative youth development, and related arts workforce development. According to a California Arts Council press release, “the projected sum of grants awarded for 2022’s regular program funding cycle is more than $72 million—the biggest annual investment in the California Arts Council’s 46-year history.”
Since the 1980s, MIM has been offering fun and challenging music programs for area youth. But as local schools have been forced to cut music and art programs, many students can no longer participate in vital educational activities, like learning to play a musical instrument. These grants will help MIM keep both in-school and afterschool music programs available to children in grades K-12 for two more years.
“Studies have shown that learning to play a musical instrument not only improves social emotional learning, but also improves test scores in reading, writing, and math.” said MIM executive director, Jenny Darlington-Person. “As schools face budget challenges and are unable to offer music classes, MIM has partnered with them to fill the gaps left by these cuts. These grants will help provide: professional music teachers for both in-school and afterschool classes; a youth orchestra program; and professional music concerts for school-age children and our community.”
As MIM concludes their outstanding 2022 season–producing several professional concerts and providing music education to more than 1000 students–they look forward to 2023 with offerings ranging from Beethoven’s 9th in collaboration with the Auburn Symphony to Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
One way to continue providing opportunities for professional music education and performances is by supporting organizations like Music in the Mountains.
Music in the Mountains is wrapping up 2022 Giving with a matching challenge grant that doubles all donations up to $25,000. This includes donations by check, credit card, and also cryptocurrency. MIM will also be looking for generous people who want to help keep music education in our schools throughout 2023.
The California Arts Council’s grant programs are administered through a multistep, public process. Following an open call for applications, submissions are adjudicated by peer review panels from the arts and cultural fields and representative of California’s diversity. Based on panel recommendations and availability of funds, the Council voted on grant awards at their public meetings in August, September, and October of 2022.
Music in the Mountains was founded in 1982 in Nevada County and the organization has been producing great concerts and education programs for more than 40 years in Northern California. The nonprofit watchdog Guidestar gives MIM a Platinum Star, the highest transparency rating given to nonprofit organizations nationwide.
More information is available at: www.musicinthemountains.org or (530) 265-6173 or info@musicinthemountains.org.