SAN FRANCISCO, July 14, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Music In Schools Today (MUST), a San Francisco-based non-profit organization whose mission is to support and develop music education programs improving student achievement announces that Dan Ashley, News Anchor at ABC-7, has been appointed chairman of the board of directors. Ashley is launching his “Music4Kids Campaign” on July 15, 2015 with a fundraising goal of $250,000. Ashley will lead the board campaign over the next 90 days to fund Bay Area music programs in jeopardy, especially in San Francisco, Oakland and San Mateo. To kick off the program, MUST is pleased to announce that an anonymous donor has offered to match donations up to $100,000.
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0a7f2c21-0a59-4bb0-9e1f-f451789deb1e.
Ashley's distinguished work is recognized by numerous industry organizations, including: Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He serves on the boards of many worthy organizations including The Bay Area Red Cross, The California Symphony, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), The Contra Costa County Crisis Center, The First Tee, and his own non-profit "Rock the CASA Foundation," an annual concert to benefit the CASA organization and other charities. He is widely known as front man for the band PUSH, which regularly plays concerts for a variety of charitable causes.
"We are living in one of the richest places in the country, yet the Bay Area has pockets of poverty where children often don’t have access to music education,” says Ashley. “They are the ones who need it most, learning both the joys and discipline of music that enhances their performance in other school subjects and promotes social-emotional development.”
“Music in Schools Today provides a safety net for our schools, and it needs deeper and broader community support,” Ashley continues. “My goal as chair is to provide the resources to bring this excellent programming to as many children as possible."
MUST has provided school-based music programs in Alameda, Bayshore, Berkeley, Burlingame, Daly City, East Palo Alto, Emeryville, Franklin-McKinley, Fremont, Honda-Pescadero, Marin, Morgan Hill, Oakland, Richmond, San Francisco and San Mateo for over 30 years. Ashley succeeds board chair Kelyn Brannon, a 20-year veteran in financial services and former CFO of Amazon’s international division.
For a full list of the board of directors and additional information about MUST, visit www.musicinschoolstoday.org.
About Music In Schools Today:
Music In Schools Today supports and develops integrated, accessible, sustainable and measurable music education programs that improve student achievement. Despite extensive research indicating that music instruction supplies intellectual, emotional and physical components critical to children’s development, music and arts programs are often the first victims of budget cuts. MUST combats this trend with a comprehensive set of programs that are resistant to budget slashing. MUST conducts research and development and advocates to restore music as an essential principle of education.