Dear Friends and Colleagues:

It is not often that I reach out and ask for real help, but today I am. Music for All (Bands of America), is a finalist in the Chase Community Giving program on Facebook, wherein Chase gives real money to non-profit organizations like Music for All that receive the most votes cast via Facebook. We have already received $25K in round one, which will help us support our mission. As a top 100 finisher, we are competing for votes in round two for a top award of $500K. If we finish in the top 25, we will receive at least an additional $20K.

My request, on behalf of Music for All and me personally, is that you invite and allow your students just 10 minutes in class/rehearsal to take out their cell phones and login to Facebook to cast a vote in favor of Music for All in the Chase Community Giving program. I'm calling this 10 minutes of time - "A Facebook Moment in Support of Music for All." Our collective 10 minutes could bring at least $20k to Music for All in support of music education. Our goal is to generate 10,000 votes from the 70,000 annual participants and 200,000 parents and fans that attend Music for All and Bands of America events each year. Please help us, if you can.

I am hopeful that you tell your students today (and encourage them to ask their parents and friends to vote as well) and take action (A Facebook Moment in Support of Music for All) tomorrow (Tuesday). Voting ends at 11:59:59pm EST on Wednesday, May 25th. Thank you for sharing "A Facebook Moment in Support of Music for All" with your students, boosters, etc.

To vote, all you have to do is log in to Facebook, "like" the Chase Community Giving page, and search and VOTE for Music for All. THIS IS TIME SENSITIVE AS VOTING ENDS ON MAY 25TH! SO, PLEASE DON'T DELAY!

Thank you for your consideration, time and support.

Sincerely,

Eric L. Martin
President & CEO

P.S. Chase had finalists submit a "Big Idea" for use in determining who receives the top award. Check out ours, which involves convening a national summit of teachers, students and parents to create and implement local music and arts advocacy projects.

Thanks to all who have voted for Music for All in the Chase Community Giving program on Facebook. MFA is currently in 34th place of the 100 charities who advanced to Round 2. However, we need your help to move up the leaderboard and be eligible for a share of the donations to be awarded at the end of voting May 25. Only the top 25 charities will receive donations from Chase, and there are only 3 days left to vote. We need your help to move up the leaderboard so please vote for MFA and share and encourage others to vote, too!

As a special thank you to those who have voted, today we posted video of the four Class Champion bands from the 2010 Grand National Championships on Facebook. These videos are presented free for a limited time, through May 25, 2011. After May 25, you can still watch BOA video online by subscribing to the MFA Fan Network.

Everyone has five votes to give so be sure to consider voting for MFA, DCI, WGI, NAfME and the charities that are meaningful to you.

Learn about our Big Idea, watch our video and get tips and tools about how you can help us spread the word! Thank you for your support! We can't do this without you!

Thanks to all who voted today for Music for All in the Chase Community Giving campaign on Facebook. Voting opened today and MFA is currently in 28th place of the 100 charities who advanced to Round 2.

We need your help to move up the leaderboard and be eligible for a share of the donations to be awarded at the end of voting May 25. Please vote for MFA and share and encourage your friends to vote, too!

Congratulations to our partners Drum Corps International and Winter Guard International on strong showings this first day of voting! Everyone has five votes to give, so be sure to consider voting for MFA, DCI, WGI, NAfME and the charities that are meaningful to you.

Learn about our Big Idea, watch our video and get tips and tools about how you can help us spread the word!

Help MFA welcome our new Director of Development and Partnerships, Misty Wick; Senior Annual Fund Coordinator, Dianne Elliott; and Development Intern, Sarah Gretencord! All bring a renewed sense of purpose to our fundraising efforts and are passionate about the mission. You will be hearing from the Development Team throughout the year, to keep you up-to-date on our programs, and to say, “Thank You” for your continued support. Please feel free to contact us—we look forward to talking with you!

Music for All would like to extend an invitation to you to attend a concert at our Summer Symposium, as well as offer you an opportunity to visit our new camp location. The Summer Symposium is located at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana and will be held on June 20-25, 2011.

Each evening will feature a live concert or event by renowned performing groups showcasing a variety of genres. The 2011 concerts include:

• Monday, June 20: Yamaha Young Performing Artists
• Tuesday, June 21: The Volunteers with opening act: Orpheus, SchoolJam USA Finalist
• Wednesday, June 22: Jon McLaughlin
• Thursday, June 23: Uncommon Time, featuring Time for Three’s Nick Kendall and Ranaan Meyer, and friends
• Friday, June 24: Drum Corps International featuring: Blue Stars, Carolina Crown, The Cavaliers, Glassmen, Madison Scouts, Pioneer, Teal Sound and Troopers

To purchase a ticket to a concert (Monday-Thursday concerts), visit: musicforall.org or ticketmaster.com or order by phone: 800.745.3000. If you are interested in attending the DCI Show on Friday, tickets are available at www.dci.org.

Help Music for All inspire and activate the next generation of arts education advocates and save music and arts education through music for all. Thank you to all of you who voted for MFA in Round 1. We were in the top 20 and received a much-needed grant of $25,000, which will support our mission! We need your help again—there are two days left to vote and this time only the top 25 in Round Two will share in $2,500,000 in donations from Chase. Check out how to vote, and help us spread the word by visiting: http://www.musicforall.org/ways-to-give/get-in-on-the-giving-mfa-on-chase

It's 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on May 19 and voting for Round 2 in the Chase Community Giving program on Facebook is now open, and runs through May 25.

This is a rare opportunity for fans of Music for All, Bands of America and Orchestra America to play a simple yet important part in helping MFA receive a significant donation: $500,000 to the charity who receives the most votes.

Please vote and help us spread the word!

You can vote and learn more about MFA and our Big Idea to inspire and activate music education advocates on our Chase Giving profile page.

We've also put together some resources and ideas you can use to help us spread the word. We need your help to share this opportunity with your friends, family and colleagues.

I just voted...have you?

Maestro Urbanski Returns: Watch it live online!

Music for All enjoys a wonderful partnership with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in our organizational hometown.

This weekend conductor Krzysztof Urbanski makes his first Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra appearance since being named Music Director of the ISO in fall of 2010. Join us for Urbanski’s Return as the ISO live streams this performance to a worldwide audience! Visit IndianapolisSymphony.org/livestream on Saturday, May 21 at 5:30pm to watch as the ISO and Maestro Urbanski perform Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony along with 2002 IVCI Gold Laureate Barnabas Kelemen, who joins in for Sibelius’ Violin Concerto.

Music for All's efforts to create, provide and expand positively life-changing experiences through music for all include awarding a number of scholarships each year to students who are financially unable to attend MFA programs without financial assistance.

These scholarships assist with financial support for MFA programs like Summer Symposium, which is located at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

Music for All has extended the deadline for the L.J. Hancock Scholarship to May 20, 2011. This scholarship honors the life and work of L.J. Hancock, by benefiting students with financial need who are interested in attending the Summer Symposium. To apply, visit this page of our website.