The city of Newark, N.J., on Tuesday became the first municipality to commit
funding to support the five-year-old 'VH1 Save the Music Foundation,' which
supports music education in public schools.
At an event at the city's Louise A Spencer School, VH1 president John Sykes
welcomed Newark Mayor Sharpe James as the foundation's first financial partner.
With the supplemental funds from the city, Sykes said, every single child who
attends public school in Newark will have access to music education this
September.
VH1 has raised millions of dollars to help bring music education back to
schools, but Sykes said the effort would take more partnerships along the lines
of Newark's. To expand the program to all of the towns that need it would take
billions of dollars, not millions, he added.
Newark's cable system, owned by Cablevision Systems Corp., brought Save the
Music to the city's schools two years ago. Cablevision president and CEO James
Dolan was on hand Tuesday to help honor the foundation, along with guest stars
including former President Bill Clinton and singers Mariah Carey and India
Arie.
'Music is a wonderful experience because it helps you learn what you are
inside,' said Chanez Robinson, a fifth-grader at local Avon Avenue Elementary
School, during the presentation.
Clinton told the students in the crowd that one day in the future, there may
be other singers, school officials and even the president of the United States
up on stage making similar presentations. 'It might as well be you,' he told
them.
In explaining why he's such a strong supporter of Save the Music 'and my good
friend John Sykes,' Clinton said, 'I'm not sure I would have been president
without music.'
