THE LITTLE KIDS ROCK STORY

One day in 1996, Dave Wish watched a video about French gypsy guitar legend Django Reinhardt. A folk hero and role model, Rein- hardt inspired legions of gypsy children – who didnʼt attend school and had little else to do with their days – to emulate him by taking up guitar themselves. Dave was amazed at the skill these self-taught youngsters displayed. At the time, Dave was teaching 2nd grade in the San Francisco Bay Area and playing jazz at night. He was impressed with how the gypsy kids found creative expression and discovered hidden talent once presented with the proper motivator. He believed his students possessed their own untapped musical abilities. Dave called some musician friends to see if they had old beat-up instruments they could donate, and an early incarnation of Little Kids Rock was born.

Dave had already seen fi rsthand the sorry state of music education in his role as a public school teacher. Heʼd also heard from parents and other teachers who were dismayed at the poor quality, if not complete absence, of music education programs. On his fi rst day teaching, he went to the principalʼs offi ce to ask when his class would have music, gym and art periods, as these would offer times for him to do prep work. “The principal just gave me a blank stare,” Dave recalls, “He told me they didnʼt have those departments, and any teachers who wanted to introduce the subjects to their classes would have to develop the curriculum themselves.”

The next year, the school did hire a music teacher to come in once a week, but he only spent about 20 minutes with the kids and theyʼd spend the time “singing songs like ʻPolly Wolly Doodleʼ.” Daveʼs class responded even to this limited program simply because children are naturally inclined to engage with music. But Dave knew this didnʼt go far enough to take advantage of their deeper interest in music and their capacity to learn more sophisticated material. “They could sing every Backstreet Boys song by heart,” says Dave. “The songs being taught in the classroom werenʼt con- necting on that level. I knew we were missing something.” Dave wanted to teach his kids the music they were already listening to and fi nd a point of interest that would keep them motivated.

This would be more than a nice extra to give the kids some variety during the school day. Little Kids Rock was founded on the idea that music is a necessary component of the educational experi- ence– something that contributes signifi cantly to a childʼs healthy development. “Music is a hugely unifying force. It brings people together, especially during times of strife,” explains Dave. “I personally get a rush and a thrill to see people from different cultures interacting around music.” For children, music provides a creative outlet they wouldnʼt otherwise have. “I believe that once you put someone in touch with their creativity, the cheap

www.littlekidsrock.org THE LITTLE KIDS ROCK STORY (page 2 of 3) thrill of destructive behavior becomes less appealing. Thatʼs just human nature. Thereʼs no competition between reach- ing new heights of creative expression vs. breaking a window with a baseball or spraying graffi ti.”

For some kids, fi nding a musical voice is their ticket out of whatever tough circumstances theyʼre in. Music becomes their refuge, a safe haven and escape from the diffi culties of everyday life. Some Little Kids Rock students, for example, fi nd a way to channel the pain and confusion of a troubled home life into their own original songs. Others benefi t from being able to express the jumbled emotions that are part of growing up. Some lose interest in the negative infl uences or dangerous activities that diverted them previously once theyʼve gotten hooked on the joy of playing guitar.

“Thereʼs a school of thought that says people should be measured in ʻmultiple intelligences,ʼ” says Dave. “We all excel in certain areas, lag in others and are average in most of them. Some people have a proclivity for music – thatʼs their thing.” Without a program that identifi es and nurtures that instinct from a young age, kids may never know they have this gift and the rest of us might never get to share their talents. How many musical geniuses have gone undiscovered because of the ab- sence of music education in the nationʼs schools?

The joy of fi nding and drawing out these budding musicians is the greatest reward for Dave Wish and the rest of the Little Kids Rock teachers. “Being a Little Kids Rock teacher is like being a miner panning for gold,” he remarks.

“Youʼre tapping into something deep – especially when you get around to composing and improvising – thatʼs the juicy stuff. It is a revelation. When a kid has his or her fi rst guitar solo, theyʼre electrifi ed. They canʼt believe itʼs them. Itʼs like waking up and discovering youʼre fl uent in Mandarin. These kids never knew they had it in them.” Such an experience opens up new vistas of self-expression and new depths of self-awareness.

Traditional music education, in Daveʼs opinion, takes a dry, didactic approach, which makes a subject that is inherently interesting and exciting and makes it dull and boring. While budget cuts have forced many schools to eliminate music programs altogether, those that are still running are often tedious and unappealing to young kids. Indeed, Daveʼs students found it “boring and stupid” to learn the old-fashioned, simplistic songs that were in the curriculum for their grade level. “Kids today are exposed to lots of different media, and their taste can be very sophisticated,” Dave explains. “They also hear

www.littlekidsrock.org THE LITTLE KIDS ROCK STORY (page 3 of 3) and pick up on what their older brothers and sisters are listening to. They become interested in a variety of genres that arenʼt represented in the school program.” Little Kids Rock applies some com- mon sense logic to music education by focusing on music that kids already love.

Dave describes his own experience with music as a school kid as “stereotypical.” He took violin les- sons but hated it – he was into the Beatles and Elvis Presley – so he quit. Years later, he looked back on the squandered opportunity and wished he had stuck with it.

At 18, Dave took up the guitar. He learned from friends and books and took lessons with several instructors, each of whom offered his/her own style of teaching and playing. “Those interactions in- formed the way I taught once I got profi cient enough at 20 or 21 and started giving lessons myself,” he says. “My teaching style was a pastiche of all of the best infl uences I was exposed to during my own learning process.”

The pedagogical underpinnings of Little Kids Rock draw upon those same early teaching infl uences as well as from accepted practices in the broader fi eld of education. One current trend is to empha- size an organic way of learning, for example, teaching kids how to read by letting them read, instead of by discussing grammar and sentence structure. In the Little Kids Rock approach, students learn to play by playing. “You learn through doing; itʼs more motivational that way. Itʼs more inspirational to make music than to learn about notes.”

Dave points to the famous and infl uential Suzuki Method of violin instruction, introduced by Shinichi Suzuki in the 1950s, as a model for success. Founder Suzuki believed that playing music was something that anyone could do. He saw music as a universal language anyone could learn to “speak.” Dave Wishʼs recipe for Little Kids Rock is “Suzuki meets the Rolling Stones meets Dr. Seuss all in a blender.”

The Little Kids Rock model works, too, because the teachers are all volunteers with a passion for music they want to share with young people. They are doing it for love and not money. Their pay- ment is the unmatched pleasure of being able to interact with their students in a new and heartfelt way.

Like many arts programs, Little Kids Rock is currently relegated to after-school hours. Dave envi- sions a time when it will become a focus nationwide, ultimately elevating the profi le of music educa- tion and infl uencing the way music is taught everywhere. “When people hear the music these kids are creating, they are sincerely impressed with the product,” Dave says. “My goal is that Little Kids Rock will stem the tide of budget cutbacks and help reestablish music education in the schools, and that our approach will be widely adopted.”

www.littlekidsrock.org LITTLE KIDS ROCK OVERVIEW

How Did it Start? Little Kids Rock began in 1996 when elementary school teacher Dave Wish grew frustrated with the lack of music program funding at his school and started his own after-school music program. Equipped only with a guitar and a passion for teaching kids to express themselves, Dave has since helped grow Little Kids Rock into an organization with a national impact and focus that serves thousands of students. Many music industry luminaries have rallied to support the organization.

How Does it Work? Little Kids Rock provides free music classes and musical instruments to children in under-funded public elementary schools. Trained volunteers use donated instruments to teach Little Kids Rockʼs innovative curriculum that focuses on popular music styles such as rock, funk, blues, rap, and hip-hop. These mentors encourage the students to compose, perform and record their own music. Some of these works can be heard on Little Kids Rockʼs four CDs or on the website www.little- kidsrock.org.

What is the Mission? Little Kids Rock knows that music is a critical component of a fi rst-rate education. We inspire children to express themselves through music, building the creativity, confi dence, and self-esteem that are critical to success in school and beyond. We accomplish this by:

• Pioneering innovative teaching methods that are rooted in childrenʼs knowledge of popular music forms such as rock, rap, blues, hip-hop etc.

• Preparing practitioners such as teachers and youth workers to offer classes utilizing our methods and materials.

• Providing free musical instruments and trained instructors to children, especially to those children who do not receive music education.

What are the Benefi ts? Confi dence. Creativity. Passion. These are just some of the words used by Little Kids Rock stu- dents and mentors to explain what the program provides them with. Study upon study has shown that students who have access to arts and music education tend to perform better in school than their peers who do not. Little Kids Rock teaches more than music – it teaches students how to believe in themselves and to be successful in life.

“The Four Rʼs – ʻReadinʼ, ʻRitinʼ, ʻRithmatic, ROCK!”

www.littlekidsrock.org HISTORY AND MILESTONES

1996- Elementary school teacher David Wish begins offering a single, after-school guitar class to children at a school that had no music program. Davidʼs class was wildly popular and he be- gan offering more classes. These tiny classes evolved into Little Kids Rock, a national nonprofi t restoring music education in schools around the country.

2002 - Little Kids Rock (LKR) established as a national nonprofi t, with support from honorary board members BB King and John Lee Hooker.

2003 – LKR expands its services to kids in TN. Bonnie Raitt, Tom Waits, Jason Newsted of Metallica and other artists make guest appearances at LKR schools. LKR featured in Rolling Stone, CNN Headline News, Billboard, AP and a host of other publications.

2004 – LKR expands its services by bringing its program into fi ve different states.

2005 – LKR receives $300,000 grant from the Draper Richards Foundation. LKR launches in two additional states now reaching 5,000 students in seven states. Steve Vai, Jesse McCartney, Rick Springfi eld and other artists back LKR.

2006 – LKR launches on-line television station, www.littlekidsrock.tv to give free lessons to students everywhere. Ziggy Marley, Brad Delson of Linkin Park and Joe Satriani appear on www.litlekidsrock.tv and visit LKR students in their classrooms.

2007 – LKR now extends services to twelve different states, reaching over 12,000 students. LKR program and students featured on Nickelodeon, MTV, The Hallmark Channel and other national outlets. LKR is sole benefi ciary of major benefi t concert with support from Alice in Chains, Dave Navarro and members of KISS, Linkin Park, Queensryche. LKR offers free, downloadable lessons through iTunes and supplies the #1 most downloaded video at iTunes U.

To date the Little Kids Rock music program has: • Served over 15,000 students in schools in NY, NJ, CA, TN, LA, GA, PA, FLA, TX and Washington DC • Released several CDs of original student compositions • Trained hundreds of teachers • Recruited hundreds of volunteers

www.littlekidsrock.org COOL MUSIC EDUCATION FACTS

• A comprehensive series of skill tests run on 5,154 fi fth-graders found that kids who were learning to play a musical instrument received higher marks than their classmates who were not. The longer the school children had been in the instrumental programs, the higher they scored. (The American MusicConference)

• Regardless of socioeconomic background, music-making students get higher marks in standardized tests than those who have no music involvement, according to a 10-year study that tracked more than 25,000 students. The test scores studied were not only standardized tests, such as the SAT, but also in reading profi ciency exams. (Dr.James Catterall, UCLA, 1997)

• The College Entrance Examination Board found that students involved in public school music programs scored 107 points higher on the SATs than students with no participation. (Profi les of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, com- piled by the Music Educators National Conference- 2002)

• Americaʼs nonprofi t arts industry generates $134 billion in economic activity every year, including $24.4 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenues. (Americans for the Arts)

• Secondary students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs). (Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Houston Chronicle, January 11,1998)

www.littlekidsrock.org ALARMING MUSIC ED. FACTS

• State-level arts spending dropped from $409 million in fi scal year 2002 to $354.5 in fi scal year 2003 and declined again to $272.4 million in 2004. (National Assembly of State Arts Agencies )

• Nearly 75% of US States will cut school spending in the coming school year. (“Budgets Cut Student Experience”, CNN, August 2003, http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/08/13/sprj.sch.cuts/ )

• Todayʼs music teachers must focus much of their time and energy on seeking funding for music programs – writing grants or coordinating fundraising events – diverting focus away from curricular and professional development. (Shaking the Money Tree: Fund-raising and Grants; MENC, Teaching Music, Feb. 2001)

• Between 1999 and 2004, a period when the total California public school student population increased by 5.8%, the percentage of all California public school students involved in music educa- tion courses declined by 50%. This decline is the largest of any academic subject area. The number of music teachers declined by 26.7%. This represents an actual loss of 1,053 teachers. (The Sound of Silence: The Unprecedented Decline of Music Education in California Public Schools, Music for All Foundation utilizing data from California Department of Education)

• Nearly 20% of all US public schools fail to offer ANY music or arts classes – not even one day a week. In schools that do offer music classes, not all students participate. There are often as little as 25% of students taking part in music and arts classes in school. (http://www.vh1.com/partners/save_the_music/text/research/NAEP.doc)

• “Noting that some areas of the nation already give students insuffi cient experience in the disci- pline of music education, the Music Education Coalition predicts that the current round of budget cuts will lead to curtailment of programs depriving as many as 30 million students (more than 60% of those enrolled in K-12) of an education that includes music.” (“Largest Initiative Support- ing School Music Launched in Response to School Budget Cuts Expected in 2003”, NAMM, March 2003 http://www.namm.com/pressroom/pressreleases/2003Mar12.html)

• Cuts to music programs greatly affect elementary school students, as music classes for beginners are often seen to compete with core curricular classes and are directly targeted for elimination. As a result of cuts to elementary school music programs, junior and senior high school music program enrollment have, and will continue to fall dramatically. (Defending Music Programs with Econmic Analysis”, Dr. John Benham, British Columbia Music Coali- tion, Dec. 2002, http://www.bcmusiccoalition.org/resources/defendmusprogreconanaly.html)

www.littlekidsrock.org QUOTES ABOUT US

“Since I was a little girl I wanted to play something. Not sports. I wanted to play music.” -Raquel, Nine-year old LKR Student

“Little Kids Rock does a great job getting kids excited about mu- sic, picking up the slack from budgets cuts to music programs in our schools. They deserve our support!” -Bonnie Raitt, Honorary Board Member, Grammy winner

“...Little Kids Rock will impact in the lives of children in a mean- ingful way for many years to come and can create a replicable approach to effective music education in our urban schools.” -Norman Atkins, Co-Founder North Star Academy Charter School in Newark, New Jersey

“Little Kids Rock has provided us a major vehicle. The changes in my students these past few years in this regard have been amazing.” -Val Haskell, Special Education Teacher The Lawton School San Francisco, California

“I think that what Little Kids Rock does is just amazing. Iʼd like to see this program in a lot more schools. Young kids playing instru- ments, composing their own music and recording their own songs? That is something I just have to get behind.” -B.B. King, Legendary blues artist, Honorary Board Member

“Little Kids Rock brings cool water to the desert. Unfortunately, a desert is what arts education in the schools has become.” -Tom Waits, musician, actor, composer

“We believe that Little Kids Rock just may be the hippest, most forward-thinking model for turning kids onto music that weʼve ever seen.” -The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation

“There are several for-profi t programs that give lessons in rock music…But Little Kids Rockʼs national scope and non-profi t status make it unique.” -Time Magazine

www.littlekidsrock.org LITTLE KIDS ROCK HAS SOME BIG FANS As music programs across the country are being eliminated, itʼs nice to know that Little Kids have big friends. The following individuals are all helping us put music back where it be- longs... in our schools! We are thankful and proud to have the support of ....

Bonnie Raitt

Jason Newsted (Metallica)

Bob Weir (Grateful Dead)

Paul Simon Bonnie Raitt BB King BB King

Ziggy Marley

Brad Delson (Linkin Park)

Tom Waits Jason Newsted Bob Weir Steve Vai

Joe Satriani

Les Paul

Rick Springfi eld

Paul Simon Liberty DeVitto (Billy Joel) Steve Vai

Dave Mason (Traffi c)

Carmine Appice (Rod Stewart)

Will Lee (The David Letterman Band)

Joe Lynn Turner (Deep Purple, Rainbow) Liberty DeVitto Tom Waits and others… www.littlekidsrock.org OUR FOUNDER’S BIO

Dave Wishʼs work as a second-grade public school teacher took an unusual turn in 1996 when he grew frustrated with the lack of music program funding at his school. Equipped with only his guitar and a passion for teaching kids, Dave started his own after-school mu- sic program and began offering free lessons to his students.

What began in 1996 as an informal project led by Dave and a handful of volunteers has catapulted into a nationally recognized non-profi t organization that has served thousands of students.With the support of Honorary Board Members Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, BB King, Les Paul, Jason Newsted and a host of celebrated friends in the music industry, Little Kids Rock is poised to signifi cantly extend its reach in the United States.

Dave graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Sociology with a minor in Womenʼs Studies from Brandeis University. He worked as an elementary school teacher for 10 years. After his volunteer music classes began to take off, he left the classroom to dedicate his time fully to Little Kids Rock and helping foster future musicians.

In the fourth grade he took violin lessons, but they were playing tunes like ʻHot Cross Bunsʼ and ʻMary Had A Little Lambʼ, which lead to an early retirement from the violin. Thankfuly, he picked up the guitar during high school. Daveʼs love of music makes him what he calls, “...a compulsive guitar player and music teacher.” He is a fan of jazz and is of the fi rm belief that Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong and Django Rheinhardt were “some of the greatest geniuses of the 20th century”. He also has a taste for the Clash, the Beatles and a guitar player named Jimi Hendrix.

Dave Wish emcees a “rock” recital with his original guitar class

www.littlekidsrock.org LETTER FROM A PARENT

As always, Iʼm delighted to say something about my daughters. My dear children have helped me cope with the pain after leaving my war-torn Bosnia. Their laughter and joy have helped me pull through the diffi culties and adjustments. In this letter, I will speak about my younger daughter Alma who is eight years old, and how Little Kids Rock has changed her life.

Raising Alma in the United States has been a challenge for me. The urban, cosmopolitan city of San Francisco has offered a lot, but before I was able to see its good side, I needed to learn to live in this new place. Alma is an energetic and playful child, and like a little monkey has tremendous endurance for fun. I often asked myself: Will this child ever rest? To satisfy her urges for play, I would take her to the neighborhood park where she would prance around the balance beam, swing on the tire-swings and slide the steepest slides. Unfortunately, Alma was not satisfi ed; something was missing in this wild play, a sense of fulfi llment, a sense of true satisfaction. I learned later that her games at the park were only an escape from our small apartment and Nickelodeon.

Then something happened. Something that parents usually tell other parents who have kids with potential but no place to use it. Alma came home with a guitar. She held it as if it were made of glass. Drops of sweat trickled down her face out of fear of breaking it and out of excitement for having the honor to hold this new instrument. She spoke with great enthusiasm about all the things that one can do with a guitar. She spoke of great musicians such as Carlos Santana, and assured me that soon she would be able to play like he does.

I did not know that Alma would give so much of her passion to this guitar and this program. Alma was driven from the very fi rst day, and I could not believe it. That same day, Alma called her best friend Aphiffany and the girls chattered as usual, only this time I did not hear the same, repetitive giggling as I did in the past. My Alma looked serious. There was a tone of ʻyou- wonʼt-believe-what-happened-to-meʼ in her voice. Alma was happy and so was I. Almaʼs friends were now the kids from guitar class, kids who shared the same interest as her. Mr. Wish, Almaʼs guitar teacher, was establishing a new com- munity for these kids, a new home away from home for my daughter. Almaʼs days after school were now spent differently. Alma spent many hours with Mr. Wish and

www.littlekidsrock.org LETTER FROM A PARENT (PAGE 2) other Little Kids Rocksters learning the basics. Watching her play the guitar, her little fi ngers looked like they were in pain, but her face radiated determination, faith and love. I now under- stand that those little fi ngers never suffered, but only found a creative outlet she could not fi nd in the local park. Listening to my daughter play gives me such joy. My fears seem to fade away, and sometimes tears of joy run down my face.

I realized that Alma, unlike my older daughter and myself, was given a gift. Maja (my other daughter) and I are listeners to music. We were the outsiders who were stunned with awe upon hearing a beautiful piece. Alma had something more; she was given the opportunity to be inside the music. This wonderful opportunity was given to her by a Little Kids Rock class. There the children are pushed towards what was once unattainable in my eyes. I remember the day when I observed Alma and her fellow students perform “De Colores” at a school recital. This time, Alma played the guitar and the music sang for her. I suddenly realized; it is only through music that we can see all the colors of the world.

I would like to see Little Kids Rock share its beautiful program with many children and give them the opportunity it has given my daughter. Mr. Wish, the teacher who started Little Kids Rock, the teacher with such a spirited soul, deserves all the support that is available to spread the music to other children.

Sincerely,

Azmira Ruznic Almaʼs Mom

San Francisco, California

www.littlekidsrock.org LETTER FROM A TEACHER

As a public school teacher, it is honestly my privilege to work with David Wish and his Little Kids Rock organization. It is not often that one teacher has an idea that turns into such a success- ful project that he remains committed to sharing it with as many of his colleagues as he possibly can. It is also not often that such a project when duplicated by other teachers, continues to be noth- ing but successful across a broad range of student grade levels, abilities, and cultural backgrounds.

The key to the success of Little Kids Rock at my school can be directly attributed to Daveʼs devel- opment of a teacher training package, and provisions for a network of ongoing support. A two day summer workshop brought together a cadre of teachers, who left his training so inspired that we all signed on as guitar mentors, starting LKR classes at our own schools. We were given not just a methodology, but the rationale behind it.

We were given not just a curriculum, but rather a foundation to build, create upon, and share. We were given not just instruments for our kids, but also tuners, reference materials to duplicate, and forms that simplifi ed paperwork rather that exacerbated it. We were also offered access to CD recording for our studentsʼ work. Visiting artists perform for our classes. Ben Meisel of “Kid N Together” performed at Lawton in November, and the students are still talking about it.

Perhaps most importantly, a network was established. A local teacher coordinator visits classes. Mentors are connected via e-mail, and LKR established a Yahoo Group site to facilitate the sharing of ideas. The weekly digest provides us all with updates from the organization, and Dave remains readily accessible via e-mail and telephone.

In conclusion, helping students build self-esteem and creative expression have always presented great challenges to educators. Little Kids Rock has provided us a major vehicle. The changes in my students these past few months in this regard have been amazing. I am just so very glad that I went to that workshop; it has made for a wonderful year not just for the students, but for me too.

Sincerely, Val Haskell,

Teacher Lawton School, San Francisco

www.littlekidsrock.org