Musicians Make Better Students

The mission of the “Musicians Make Better Students” (MMBS) program is to give children in schools without music programs within our community the opportunity to play music in a structured after-school environment. The program is targeted to three K through 8th grade schools located in the North Portland Roosevelt High School cluster. The K-5th grade schools are Rosa Parks and James John Elementary. Clarendon at Portsmouth houses the K-8th grade program. Each is a school that has no current music program and has primarily minority populations below the area median income that comprises its student body. The “Musicians Make Better Students” Program was created under the auspices of The 88 Keys Foundation.

The 88 Keys Foundation was founded in 1991 under the guidance of the current Executive Director, E.D. Mondainé. Working in partnership with Celebration Tabernacle, the organization honors local gospel and sacred music artists, and provides underprivileged youth with opportunities to learn vocal and instrumental music. Each year the foundation hosts a benefit concert called “An Evening of Eighty Eight Keys.”

Our primary goal is to launch MMBS by January 2010; and over the course of the next three years to have over 150 kids involved in this wonderful program.  From this core group of youth we intend to develop the “New Columbia Symphony,” a north Portland youth symphony that will be the first of its kind in the state. We aspire to provide scholarships, performance opportunities, and music education for underprivileged children in a severely underserved area of our community.

Sub-Committee includes:
E.D. Mondainé, President & Founder/Celebration Tabernacle
John Tolbert, Chairman 88 Keys Foundation
Tamala Newsome, Principal Rosa Parks Elementary
Nathan Johnson, Director Regency Boys & Girls Club
Farnell Newton, Manager University Park Community Center
Leslie Esinga, Director New Columbia Community Center
Jay Breslow, Sun Program Director James John Elementary
Tim Dodd, Safeway Stores
Robin Gordon, Music Education