A new school year brings the excitement of seeing new students and teachers joining our MusicLink family – with a goal of reaching 6000 students by the end of 2014! We are almost there – with a total of 5,944 as of October 20th. So – we ask existing MusicLink teachers to recruit their colleagues who may already have a student on partial scholarship to the program. Teachers and youth leaders in schools and communities can nominate students who they know will benefit from MusicLink lessons. Now, more than ever, join us!

• We will recognize the “winning state” who enters student number 6000 with a special article in our next eLINK.
• Student number 6000 will receive a gift basket of musical goodies.
• The teacher of student 6000 will receive several publications by our Executive Director, Dr. Joanne Haroutounian.

Paired with our student goal is a donation goal of raising $6000 in 60 days (Nov. 1 - Dec. 31) reaching our goal by the end of 2014 as well. Remember that every $100 in donation equals $700 in services to our MusicLink students. Your donation can send a student to camp ($250), bring an instrument into their home ($300), or help pay for music and event fees ($100).

Keep up to date on our Goal 6000 progress by visiting our MusicLink Foundation homepage - when will we reach our goals? Watch how totals grow over the coming weeks and months.

MusicLink Foundation

To top off our celebration, we have also set a goal of adding 6 new Legacy Partners by the end of 2014. Legacy Partners recognize the need to secure the future growth and expansion of MusicLink through annual donations of $5000 - $9,999 (Bravo Tier), or $10,000 or more (Encore Tier). We applaud our current Legacy Partners - Bill and Brigid Brakefield, the Louise Zanar Fund, and the MusicLink Board of Directors. Please consider how you or your business can join this extraordinary group of donors. Download our Legacy Partner information below for more details about the program.

Thanks and Good Luck
to Bronwyn Towle

Bronwyn Towle has served as Assistant Director of the MusicLink Foundation since 2007 and has been the constant “go to” person for new teachers who are trying to work through database issues, businesses who are joining our family of MusicLink Business Partners, and the real backbone of keeping the organization’s communications on track and up to date.

Bronwyn and Joanne had a unique way of transferring information from the national office to her home office --- leaving stuff on the porch. Yes, this is a grass roots organization! Bronwyn would pick up work to be done on the porch of the home office of MusicLink, which was across the street from her childrens’ school. Now, seven years later, the boys are set for college and Bronwyn is set to enter the full-time business world. We will miss her and we wish the very best in her new career. A few words from Bronwyn: “It has been a pleasure working for MusicLink and I am sorry to be leaving. I have enjoyed supporting Joanne in her efforts to bring music into the lives of children for so many years. It has been inspiring to work with so many dedicated teachers and students and I wish you all continued success.“

Oregon MusicLink
– Our thanks to Mary Hulme

Mary Hulme, NCTM will be retiring as MusicLink's State Coordinator for Oregon. Mary pioneered Oregon’s MusicLink program stemming from the early 1990s. She helped build a strong network of teachers and local coordinators to carry on her efforts. Mary received Oregon’s MTNA Fellowship in 2009 after serving as Portland President and Oregon’s State President.

Oregon’s MusicLink program currently supports 20 teachers and 40 students. It has a very active State MusicLink Committee, now chaired by Eileen Knox. She will continue to follow Mary’s leadership principles of building community support for MusicLink. The state committee is committed to growing public awareness of the services MusicLink provides.

The state committee recently secured two new business partners for the MusicLink students. Portland Piano Company and their technicians have joined the team and will provide free piano tuning for MusicLink students. Portland Piano International is gifting the MusicLink children with free concert tickets for world-class piano performances throughout the year.

Oregon’s MusicLink program is strong and vibrant thanks to Mary Hulme’s management of the program throughout the years. Thank you, Mary. The children of Oregon are forever grateful.

2014 MusicLink Graduates

Daniel Murillo has studied piano with Rebecca Hedman (Burlington WA) for nine years. He also plays clarinet and trumpet and enjoys playing saxophone in a concert band. Charles Gounod is one of his favorite composers - he performed The Funeral March of a Marionette for Washington state adjudications this year. Daniel also enjoys competitive speech and writing, and studying the Bible. He is currently taking classes at Skagit Valley College and would like to some day attend seminary and become a full time pastor. Daniel says that music has taught him perseverance when he didn’t have the desire to practice.

We want to congratulate all of our MusicLink graduates: Michielu Menning (IA), student of Sr. Mary Hauber; Cindy Pelaez (IL), student of Beatriz Levi; Casey Johnson (MN), student of Ellie Fregni; Sophia Edgar (MN), student of Kathleen Van Doeren; Leondre Madison (MN), student of Jaette Carpenter; Bailee Vollmar (OR), student of Ruth Richards; McCheyne Post (TN), student of Susan Hailey; Karen Adjei (VA), student of Lynne Denig; Enkhzaga Nyam-Ochir, student of Tatyana Hearne (VA); Kelly Barr (WA) student of Kari Hasbrouck.

MusicLink links with Community Days

The MusicLink Foundation is taking part in Community Days on Nov. 14 & 15 at the Bonton family of stores, which includes Younkers, Herbergers, Edler-Beerman, Bonton, Bergneer, Boston Store and Carsons.

These stores are mainly in the West, Midwest and Eastern parts of the U.S.

A coupon book is for sale for $5 which has $500 worth of savings in it including a $10 off coupon for a $10 purchase. If you shop at any one of these stores, please consider purchasing a book and/or sharing this link with friends or family.

The books will be mailed to your home in time for the sale and 100% of the profits will go to the MusicLink Foundation. Please click on the image below:

MusicLink Business Partners

Our long-time business partner, Burt and Co. has retired and we want to extend our thanks for all of the years you have helped our teachers and students by offering discounts on music and supplies.

New Business Partners: Piano Pronto; Creative Keys, Inc. (FL).

Pianos for MusicLink Students!

We had a busy summer of piano donations in the Northeast Region, thanks to lots of coordination by Judy Vanesse, our MusicLink Northeast Regional Coordinator. Joanne Rhines (ME) donated a piano to Maisy and Malina O’Brien, both MusicLink students of Rose Erwin (Sanford ME). Frank Loveland, a student of Margaret Stephens (Thetford VT) received a piano from Sherry Hieber (NH). Marge Winokur (CT) was pleased to see her donated piano go to Shamera Pearson, a student of Sharon Girard (Windsor Locks CT). We are always pleased to see instruments moved into the homes of our students, thanks to our community donors and our individual donors whose contributions assist with moving and tuning costs.

Maisy and Malina O’Brien


Shamera Pearson and Sharon Girard

Organizations & Businesses Recognize
MusicLink as Worthy Charity

Paul Dolinsky and Joanne Haroutounian

The Masonic Federal Lodge No. 1 and MESH Charities of Eastern Star in Washington DC raised $7,000 for the MusicLink Foundation through a benefit recital that featured four MusicLink students. Our thanks to Paul Dolinsky for overseeing the event and arranging the donation for MusicLink.

The Louise P. Zanar Fund continued another year of support as a MusicLink Legacy Partner at the Encore level ($10,000). These funds support our MusicLink DC "Shining Stars" program which provides ongoing private lessons to DC youth.

The City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts provided a grant of $1,150 to support MusicLink's northern Virginia program, which will fund a recital performance, moving and repair of instruments, music and student event fees.

The MusicLink Foundation was chosen as the recipient of a donation of $1,500 at the opening of the Hard Rock Café at the Mall of America on October 22nd.

Hard Rock Café

Students in the News

Oscar at piano

Congratulations to 8 year old Oscar Paz-Suaznabar, a MusicLink student of Dr. Marjorie Lee (VA), who has won the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Scholarship. Oscar is currently in third grade and will use the $10,000 award to further his musical education. He will perform on the radio program, From the Top on Friday, October 24th at 8:00 pm. Bravo to you!

 oscarpazsuaznabar.com 

Justin Kauflin, a MusicLink alumni, is featured in an award winning documentary film, Keep On Keepin ’On. The film is about his relationship with legendary jazz trumpeter, Clark Terry. The documentary was produced by Quincy Jones and is in theaters across the country, with some performances featuring Justin performing live after the movie.

 keeponkeepinon.com 

MusicEdConnect

If you’ve ever attended a National Convention, you know how much fun they are, but sometimes the cost can be prohibitive. Michelle Sisler of Keys to Imagination, has created an online convention called MusicEdConnect and last year 250 teachers attended it. Another one is planned for Feb. 4-7 and the MusicLink Foundation is going to be an exhibitor. To help support the mission of ML, Michelle has generously offered to donate $10 to ML for every teacher who registers using this code—MLINK15. If you or a colleague are planning on registering for this convention, please use this code and help ML. Here’s a link for more information about the Convention and how to register.

MusicEdConnect.com

New MusicLink Teachers

The following teachers joined or returned to MusicLink since our August newsletter: Active MusicLink teachers: 327 Overall total: 2,196. CO Laura Rogers; DE Karen Schenck; GA Lacie Craig; ID Lori Germer; KY Adrienne McKinney; MN Kacie Foster, Megan Jensen, Karen Saunders, Jennifer Wohlgemuth; MO Korin Wahl; NC Chad Leatherman; ND Jason Laczkoski; NH Cassandra Reed; NY Robert Renino; OR Gail Buchanan (returning), Dan Brugh (returning), Chan Ham, Katherine Wilkinson; WI Cody Goetz.

MusicLink Receives Top Rating for 2014!

We are pleased to announce that the MusicLink Foundation has received enough positive reviews to be designated one of the Top-Rated Non Profits by Greatnonprofits.org. Feel free to write your own review and read those sent in  HERE .

In Memoriam: Nancy Plourde

Nancy Plourde, an avid supporter of MusicLink as a teacher and coordinator, passed away on August 5, 2014. She taught piano and performed as a collaborative musician for over 45 years in Virginia, Maryland, Germany, California, and Texas. She was a wonderful teacher and she touched the lives of her many students and colleagues around the country. We will remember Nancy for her clever wit, her loving spirit and her joy for teaching – a very special person who will be missed.