Kiff Gallagher's MusicianCorps
Bringing Musicians Into National Public Service
Dec 11, 2008 Sarah Canice Funke
What if a musician could spend a year or two sharing a passion for the arts with low-income youth? And what if that musician could get health benefits and a living stipend while doing it? Such a proposition may sound too good to be true, but Kiff Gallagher aims to create a program that will do just that.
Gallagher proposes to combine two areas of his personal expertise--public service and music--into one single mission: bringing music education to low-income schools and after-school programs.
MusicianCorps: Kiff Gallagher's Plan to Bring Musicians into National Service
MusicianCorps would draw on the experience Gallagher gained working on another public service initiative, AmeriCorps. Resembling a nation-focused Peace Corps, AmeriCorps sends civic-minded individuals to provide direct service for a year in low-income communities across America. Those in service receive a living stipend and those who successfully complete their term of service receive an Educational Award that can be applied towards past student loans or towards further education.
One of Obama's campaign platforms was a promise to expand national service programs. As a member of Obama's National Arts Policy Committee during the campaign, Gallagher wants to ensure that some of those new service members are musicians. In the meantime, Gallagher has attracted a $500,000 grant from the Hewlett Foundation to launch a pilot program in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Challenges and Opportunities for the Music National Service Initiative and MusicianCorps
But not everyone is thrilled about the idea of sending musicians to low-income schools. Some experts in music education question the program's ability to prepare musicians effectively enough for the classroom. Teaching demands more than mere expertise on an instrument. For now, however, MusicianCorps will provide a summer long training for its musicians in service (similar to its non-musical counterpart, Teach for America).
For the professional musician, the job market is pretty bleak, with the number of musicians far outstripping the number of orchestra jobs. In 2003, only 159 seats opened up in International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) orchestras (out of a total of 4,200 positions). Yet over 14,000 music degree graduates descended upon the market that same year.
But the Music National Service Initiative demonstrates that musicians really do have something to give to society, and their contributions shouldn't be stymied simply because there's no place for them to go. According to the MNSI website, the three main goals of the initiative are enabling musicians to use their carefully acquired skills to reach the following areas:
- Underserved schools and communities to develop more successful students and youth
- Health care and therapeutic settings for patient recovery and improved functioning
- The public domain for increased civic engagement, volunteerism, diplomacy and peace
It's not just about being musical. It's about being smarter, healthier and more civic minded, too.
Sources
Blair, Elizabeth. December 8, 2008. NPR Music.
Music National Service Initiative website.
"Music in Higher Education: Facts and Figures Concerning Music and Higher Education in the U.S." The College Music Society.
Youth Orchestra
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