The celebration begins! 2017 marks 25 years since the beginning of the MusicLink program and we plan to "show off" our accomplishments and applaud the Hall of Fame MusicLink teachers and coordinators who are the heart and soul of the program. Enjoy reading about these extraordinary people who have dedicated themselves to reaching out to students in need and sharing the love of music.

This issue includes progress on our Silver Anniversary Campaign and fund-raising events past and future. We are making progress in connecting with new business partners who are helping us raise funds and spread the word about MusicLink to their clients and customers.

How can YOU help celebrate our Silver Anniversary?

• Contribute to our Silver Anniversary Campaign online (www.musiclinkfoundation.org ) or through a check mailed to MusicLink Foundation, 1043 N. McKinley Rd., Arlington, VA. 22205.
• If you are seeking a way to personally establish a lasting contribution to MusicLink, consider being a MusicLink Legacy Partner or Camp Sponsor - refer to www.FundMusicLink.com.
• EASY - write a five-star review on www.greatnonprofits.com to help us reach 25 in 2017.
• Look over ways you can help us through all different types of fund-raising events, from the individual studio (Promise to Practice), to playathons, and benefit events. Refer to our new fund-raising website, www.FundMusicLink.com
• If you are a teacher already teaching a student at a reduced rate but haven't registered this student, you could be the 25th new teacher in 2017 and receive a group of pedagogy books by Joanne Haroutounian, MusicLink Foundation's Executive Director. So sign up your student online at www.musiclinkfoundation.org.

Above all, share information about what we do with friends and colleagues - spread the word! Let's raise a glass together to toast the MusicLink Foundation!

MusicLink Foundation Featured
on Speaking of the Arts Podcast

Executive Director Joanne Haroutounian was featured on a podcast on www.speakingofthearts.com (episode 31) on January 27th. The podcast is available for you to hear anytime on the website, which is offered by Epstein & Company, a new business partner with the MusicLink Foundation. Epstein & Company is an international booking agency representing Grammy Award winning artists. They will be establishing a fund for MusicLink with each client's booking throughout 2017. They said, "An important part of our mission is to help the widest possible audience and it is critical that young students have the opportunity to experience the arts first hand. We are proud to support the MusicLink Foundation who has a 25-year history of cultivating young students in need through music lessons."

MusicLink Foundation to Receive the
MTNA 2017 Achievement Award

We hope to see our MusicLink teachers and coordinators at the MTNA convention to help us celebrate together. Look for our MusicLink Foundation booth in the exhibit hall and share experiences with MusicLink colleagues.

We are especially proud to be awarded the 2017 MTNA Achievement Award at their awards brunch on March 22nd. The award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made significant and lasting contributions to music and music teaching. The MusicLink Foundation is only the second organization to receive this award in its 27 year history.

In a letter from Executive Director, Gary L. Ingle, he notes that "it was obvious to me that MusicLink was one of the most important programs in music teaching. The partnership we forged between MTNA and MusicLink to expand its influence nationally was exactly right at the time. It has been such a pleasure to watch the program grow under your vision and leadership and to see it benefit thousands of at-risk and needy children across the country."

MusicLink Fundraising Events
Bring Music to the Community

Chloe Severs presents pledge
check to Deborah Meier

IL: A Clavinova Festival was held on December 10, 2016, in conjunction with the Third Annual Christmas Tree Walk at The Beacon, in Waterloo. The event featured performances by 34 students from five participating teachers: Grace Reuter and LeAnn Halvorson of Columbia, Sheri Jones of Waterloo, Gillian Cerbin of Belleville, and Deborah Meier of Collinsville. A big thank you to Yamaha and Piano Distributors for sponsoring and helping organize this successful event! Steven Trawford, manager of Piano Distributors, plans to continue this yearly event. We appreciate his willingness to collaborate with MusicLink through Gateway Arch East Music Teachers Association and Illinois MusicLink Coordinator, Deborah Meier. It is a fun event that keeps kids interested in piano and working hard.

Students participating in the Clavinova festival received a t-shirt, certificate, and a goodie bag containing treats, a lanyard and pen. Each student was entered into the grand prize drawing for a Yamaha digital piano (P-115). Ethan Bohlen, student of Deborah Meier was the lucky winner. He is eight years old and has been studying piano at Holy Cross Lutheran School with Mrs. Meier for about 2 years.

A total of $965 was collected from pledges to benefit MusicLink students in Illinois. Funds raised will help pay for practice instruments, music, piano moving and tunings, instrument repairs, expense reimbursement for teachers and Summer Music Camp Scholarships for students. Thank you to all the participants who raised funds through pledges for these performances and promoted MusicLink by "kids helping kids!"

VA: The Fairfax-Loudoun Music Fellowship participated in its 6th annual MusicLink fundraiser at the beautiful Lansdowne Resort throughout the month of December. They had a total of 165 students and 14 teachers participating this year and raised $2475 for MusicLink Foundation. This year added a coffee shop talent show event organized by Christina Roukis with members of the Freedom High School band. The teachers of the music fellowship look forward to hosting many more fundraising events in the future in hopes of raising more money for MusicLink. What a wonderful way of reaching the community and giving back to those in need who deserve to have the gift of music in their lives!

Fairfax-Loudon Kids

Silver Anniversary Campaign
$50,000 reached!

The MusicLink Foundation initiated an online fund-raising campaign in November to raise $25,000 by the end of January 2017. Thanks to generous donors who allowed us to reach our goal within just a few weeks, we doubled our goal -- aiming to reach $50,000 by the end of January. We are pleased to have reached our goal on January 31st! THANKS to all of our generous donors.

Our Thanks to Community Donors

Christina

Chelsea

Chelsea's smile and Christina's eagerness say it all - they now each have a PIANO to practice on, thanks to donors in the community who want to help students achieve through MusicLink. Christina was so excited after the piano was delivered that she practiced before breakfast the next day!

The MusicLink Foundation has received instrument and music donations totaling $250,000 over the course of our 25 years. Teachers and parents realize the significance of having an instrument in the home, not only for musical practice, but to bring music into the family's life. If you have an instrument in good condition you would like to donate, refer to our www.FundMusicLink.org website.

MusicLink Hall of Fame

Our MusicLink teachers are the heart and soul of MusicLink. The MusicLink Hall of Fame honors those who have taught for many years in the program.

MusicLink Teacher of Distinction
with Honors - Sue Krebsbach

Teachers who have taught 15+ years through MusicLink are recognized as MusicLink Teachers of Distinction with Honors. We recognize and thank Sue Krebsbach, NCTM, of Minnesota, who has devoted all of these years to help MusicLink students thrive through musical training.

Sue said, "It has been my privilege to work with the MusicLink program all these years. I remember the MTNA Convention where Joanne Haroutounian first proposed this idea. Thanks to Sue Wege, MusicLink State Coordinator extraordinaire for all her hard work with this program and for keeping me in students!"

MusicLink Teachers of Distinction 10-14 years MusicLink Teachers of Distinction are those that are actively teaching now and have taught through MusicLInk for 10 to 14 years. We recognize the service of the 11 teachers in this category and show the total number of years and students taught.
Nancy Breth DC 11 years, 5 students	Barbara Parker OR 10 years, 6 students
Tatyana Hearne VA 11 years, 3 students	Marion Soule MN 12 years, 10 students
Jaette Carpenter MN 10 years, 55 students	Deborah Meier IL 10 years, 6 students
Anna Jeanne Flesner MN 10 years, 11 students
Not Pictured:
Tamara Slobodkin NY 12 years, 8 students Susan Hailey TN 10 years, 10 students	Heidi Hansen MN 10 years, 5 students Sandy Weisenberger ND 10 years, 6 students

MusicLink Hall of Fame Teachers

Teachers reach the MusicLink Hall of Fame when they have taught for five to nine years. We are honored to recognize 23 teachers for reaching this category - with our thanks for their dedication to teaching deserving students through MusicLink.