CMA Foundation Announces $1 Million Initiative With State Of Tennessee To Support Statewide Music And Arts Education

NASHVILLE—The CMA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association, hosted a panel Thursday morning following the announcement of a $1 million partnership with the state of Tennessee featuring five-time CMA Awards winner Martina McBride, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, Tennessee Education Commissioner Dr. Candice McQueen and University of Tennessee associate music professor Dr. Johnathan Vest. The panel was moderated by CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern and took place during the Tennessee Music Education Association (TMEA) annual conference at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center.

The $1 million grant program, Tennessee: State of the Arts, will increase student access to high-quality music and arts education across the state – with the goal of leading other states to duplicate the model as the CMA Foundation reaches more children across the U.S.

The CMA Foundation works to ensure every child has the opportunity to receive a quality music education and every music teacher has the support and resources needed to create a thriving program. Through a $50,000 grant, the CMA Foundation funded scholarships for music teachers to attend the TMEA conference, as well as marketing and programming support to provide the most current and up-to-date offerings for state music educators.

To view the full press release serviced by the Office of Gov. Haslam, click here

l-r: Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, Martina McBride, Tennessee Education Commissioner Dr. Candice McQueen, University of Tennessee associate music professor Dr. Johnathan Vest and CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern discuss Tennessee: State of the Arts, the CMA Foundation’s $1 million commitment to music and arts education initiatives across the state of Tennessee Thursday during theTennessee Music Educators Association annual conference in Nashville. Photo Credit: Caitlin Harris/CMA

l-r: CMA Foundation Chairman Joe Galante, CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern,Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, Martina McBride, Tennessee Education Commissioner Dr. Candice McQueen, University of Tennessee associate music professor Dr. Johnathan Vest and CMA Director of Community Outreach Tiffany Kerns gather prior to announcing the CMA Foundation’s $1 million commitment to statewide music arts initiatives Thursday during the Tennessee Music Educators Association annual conference in Nashville. Photo Credit: Caitlin Harris/CMA