Last Thursday evening I had the honor of speaking on behalf of Georgia Music Partners (georgiamusicpartners.org, #GeorgiaMusic) at The Recording Academy/Atlanta Chapter's Summer Celebration. Here's what I said:
Good evening, and thank you so much for coming out tonight! I’m Stanley Romanstein. I give my time and my money to Georgia Music Partners (GMP) because, like GMP, I believe that music matters.
Music matters to me – and it matters to you, or you wouldn’t be here tonight.
Music matters to our kids and to their academic success. I’m an educator and I’ve read the research: kids who study music do better in school and get higher scores on standardized tests – not just in the arts, but in history and math and literature and Social Studies and science – in every area. Kids who study music also work better in groups and tend be chosen as leaders among their peers – the kinds of soft skills businesses want in their employees. There’s no question about it: music matters to education.
Music matters, as well, to our state’s economy. The people who make music in our state (you!) account for $3B a year – that’s billion with a b – $3B a year in economic impact across the state of Georgia.
But, for some reason, enough Georgians aren’t yet convinced that music matters – to education, to business, to communities, to literally everyone in our state. GMP is determined to Turn Up the Volume on Georgia Music to convince people that music matters.
Specifically, GMP wants to Turn Up the Volume on Georgia Music so that four things happen:
1. More jobs, more opportunity to work. We want to see more Georgia musicians living and working in Georgia. We want more tours to originate here, more recordings to be made here, more artists proudly calling Georgia home. More jobs.
2. More music in our schools. There is no downside to having great music programs in our schools, only upside. So it’s time to reverse the trend and put music back in our schools – and GMP is going to Turn Up the Volume on Georgia Music until that happens. More music in our schools.
3. State-of-the-art facilities. GMP wants Georgia to be the envy of the music industry, the place that artists want to be – not only because of the incredibly talented people who have chosen to call Georgia home, but also because we offer state-of-the-art facilities in which people can create the best music you’ll find anywhere. GMP is going to Turn Up the Volume on the importance of having state-of-the-art facilities for Georgia Music.
And,
4. We want strong, music-related industries. I’m thrilled by the success of Georgia’s film industry because every film has a soundtrack – an opportunity for music made in Georgia. I’m delighted by the success of Georgia’s video gaming industry because virtually every video game has a soundtrack – another opportunity for music made in Georgia. I want to see film and video gaming, and arts management companies and arts-friendly banks and attorneys and accountants grow and thrive – because their success is good for Georgia Music. GMP is going to Turn Up the Volume on the importance of having strong, music-related industries in our state.
Four things: Jobs. Music in our schools. State-of-the-art facilities. Strong, music-related industries.
GMP is ready to Turn Up the Volume on Georgia Music, and I’m here tonight to ask you to join us! We need you to stand with us. When we talk with corporations and elected officials and school superintendents about Georgia Music, we want to know – and they want to know – that we’re speaking for you.
Please: go to GMP’s website – georgiamusicpartners.org – and become a member. Join GMP, and work with us Turn Up the Volume on Georgia Music!
Thank you!