At the school board meeting on Tuesday, December 11th, CCEF Executive Director Leslie Adler and music teachers Paul Witt (CCMS) and Tony Spano (CCHS) announced two extraordinary new grants from The Fineshriber Family Foundation. Marcia Antepol, President of the Foundation spoke passionately of her commitment to CCUSD and CCEF.
The first grant is for over $36,000, and demonstrates The Fineshriber Family Foundation’s continuing commitment to the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra program in our elementary schools. This program introduces youngsters to the joyful variety of musical elements, styles, forms, and instruments. Now in its sixth year at CCUSD schools, the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra had been working with students in the first through third grades. This year kindergarten classes were added to the program.
The second grant from The Fineshriber Family Foundation will transform the musical experiences of students at Culver City Middle School and High School, by funding the purchase of nearly 80 new musical instruments at the two schools. This grant award of more than $56,000 will have an enormous positive impact on our students by making it possible for all students to learn to play instruments and to perform in the schools’ many musical ensembles.
These two very generous grants will give an enormous boost to CCUSD’s music program. Our gratitude for The Fineshriber Family Foundation’s generosity is beyond words, but you can be sure that our students will be thanking them with music for years to come.
The thanks began at the presentation Tuesday evening when the high school’s AVPA Flute Ensemble (Melanie Cappoli, Emma Mandzuck, Beverly, Li, Lilly Liu and Marlee Blackwell, Student Director) played Sheep May Safely Graze by J.S. Bach.
This is such an amazing, incredible, huge big deal. Thank you so much to the Fineshriber Family Foundation for supporting music in our public schools.