Houlihan's and VH1 Save The Music Foundation 'Tune-Up' for Encore Fundraiser

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 17, 2009


Hip-Casual Restaurants Set Goal to Restore Schools' 'Instrumental' Programs
July 17, 2009 // Franchising.com // Leawood, Kan. – As public schools suffer more than ever before due to the faltering economy , Houlihan's Restaurants, Inc. is energized about its second nationwide fundraising campaign to support the VH1 Save The Music Foundation and help restore instrumental music education programs.

Now through Sept. 4, 2009, for every Mojito Margarita and S'Mores Fondue dessert sold at nearly 90 Houlihan's corporate stores and franchises across the country, the restaurant will donate $1, up to $30,000, to the VH1 Save The Music Foundation. Houlihan's guests can opt to make personal donations to the fund by noting a desired amount on their guest checks.

Houlihan's executives hope to build on the success of last year's inaugural campaign, when more than $54,000 was donated to VH1 Save The Music Foundation to provide music education programs for two schools – one in Wilkinsburg, PA and the other in St. Louis, MO. From the organization of Guitar Hero competitions to concerts put on by local high school bands, Houlihan's restaurants galvanized their local communities to collect funds for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation and raise awareness about the importance of music as part of each child's education.

"Music is a critical piece of Houlihan's customer experience," said Jen Gulvik, Vice President of Marketing for Houlihan's. "Our music selection draws from the many lesser-known artists as we feel it is important to give budding artists a chance to be heard. Similarly, we strongly believe that every child should have the chance to play an instrument, join a band, and enjoy the many benefits music brings to life. In partnering with VH1 Save The Music Foundation, we hope to help restore music education in our schools and generate awareness about the fact that many kids are growing up with out access to instruments or music programs."

Since its founding in 1997, VH1 Save The Music Foundation has helped "save" music programs in thousands of public schools, which traditionally cut fine arts activities when budgets tighten. Also, the foundation has helped countless children enjoy the benefits of musical study, including improved self-esteem and increased SAT scores, high school graduation rates, college attendance rates, etc.

"We are thrilled that Houlihan's will again galvanize their employees and customers to help increase awareness and raise funds for music education in the U.S." said Paul Cothran, Executive Director for VH1 Save The Music Foundation. "With widespread budget cuts and lack of public funds, more schools across the county depend on our funds and the goodwill of partners like Houlihan's to provide their students with instruments and music classes."

In addition to restoring instrumental music programs in the nation's public schools, VH1 Save The Music Foundation aims to raise awareness about the importance of music as part of each child's education. For example, U.S. Department of Education data shows that students who report consistently high levels of involvement in instrumental music during the middle- and high-school years show significantly higher levels of math proficiency by grade 12. In general, music helps develop the essential skills needed to succeed in the 21st Century workforce: critical thinking, creative problem solving, team work, and more.
About Houlihan's
Established in 1972, Houlihan's is a progressive concept that bridges the gap between fine dining and what people have come to expect from casual dining, priding itself on style and quality appropriate for any occasion, any day of the week. Houlihan's offers guests an inviting atmosphere, eclectic menu and energetic bar environment with creative, diverse drink offerings. Inspired by fare around the globe, Houlihan's crafts dishes made from scratch with assertive flavors, offering a unique culinary experience. Currently, more than one hundred Houlihan's restaurants operate throughout the country. Houlihan's is owned by Houlihan's Restaurants, Inc. of Leawood, Kansas, a pioneer in the full-service, casual dining industry that developed and owns several restaurant concepts comprising of approximately 115 locations from coast to coast, including Devon Seafood Grill and J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks.
About VH1 Save The Music Foundation
The VH1 Save The Music Foundation is a nonprofit 501c3 organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education programs in America's public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as part of each child's complete education. Since 1997, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation has successfully restored and sustained instrumental music programs in 1,600 public schools in more than 100 cities across the country, including Memphis, Houston, Chicago, New York, Denver, Baltimore and Milwaukee. Over the past ten years, various artists and celebrities have shown their devotion to the VH1 Save The Music Foundation by partnering with the organization as they've reached out to struggling school districts across the country. This year, Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, Chris Webber, Gavin DeGraw, NE-YO, Johnny Rzeznik, Natasha Bedingfield, The Fray, Tamia, 3 Doors Down and Venus Williams serve as The Foundation's Inaugural Class of Ambassadors, each raising funds and delivering key messages on behalf of The Foundation. To date, VH1 Save The Music has provided more than $43 million in new musical instruments, affecting the lives of more than 1.2 million children. It is The Foundation's renewed commitment to donate one hundred million dollars worth of new musical instruments to ensure that even a greater number of students receive a comprehensive music education in the coming decade!

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Music teacher who sold school-owned band instruments gives up license

OLENTANGY SCHOOLS
Music teacher who sold school-owned band instruments gives up license
Man sold school's instruments on auction-site eBay
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 3:05 AM
BY JENNIFER SMITH RICHARDS
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
A former Olentangy band director who sold a dozen school-owned band instruments has lost his right to teach in Ohio.
Brian J. Bell resigned from his Hyatts Middle School job in February after paying the school nearly $25,000 for French horns, oboes, piccolo trumpets, a clarinet and a bassoon that had been taken from Olentangy High School.

The State Board of Education accepted Bell's voluntary surrender of his educator license, which formally is considered a permanent revocation, at Sunday's business meeting. The district had reported the theft to the state's educator-misconduct office in February.

It seems Bell sold at least some of the instruments on eBay, where he operated an online business on the side. He was never arrested. The Delaware County sheriff's office considers its investigation closed, and criminal charges never were filed.

Bell couldn't be reached for comment yesterday. Bell's attorney, Robert L. Washburn, said he could not explain his client's actions.

"When I met Brian, it was very difficult to equate the person I was talking to with the conduct. He was a very matter-of-fact, level-headed, impressive young man," Washburn said. "I know he at all times told me that he intended to replace the instruments that he had sold."

In a series of text messages with the high-school band director, who had asked about the instruments' whereabouts, Bell lied and said they had been stolen from his car.

"I think I left my car unlocked one night," Bell said in one message. "I guess I didn't think you would figure out until the end of the year when you did inventory again."

Bell, 27, had worked in the district since 2004. In addition to directing several middle-school bands, he taught guitar and general music at the middle school. He was a percussion instructor at Olentangy High.

The money Bell repaid was set aside to buy replacement instruments, district spokeswoman Karen Truett said.

Also at Sunday's meeting, a teacher who used to work in Columbus and for an online charter school lost his right to teach.

Gerald A. Baker, 40, who the Education Department said lives in Worthington, was convicted twice in 2008 of assault and once of drunken driving; the incidents all occurred in 2007. Baker could not be reached for comment.

Department records show that Baker taught middle-school special education in Columbus schools from 1996 to 2002 and then at TRECA Digital Academy from 2002 to 2005, when he stopped teaching to attend law school.

He was convicted of assault in May 2008 after hitting his wife. In November, he was stopped by police for driving erratically; he then head-butted an officer. Baker said he was suffering an alcoholic blackout.

A conviction for driving under the influence typically won't lead to state action against a teaching license. But assault convictions often will because they are violent offenses and considered "unbecoming the teaching profession."

jsmithrichards@ dispatch.com

Schools Making Music, Arts and Athletics Pay To Play

Arts thrive as region bucks national trends in education

Buzz up!

By Ken Fibbe, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Photos

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At the Carnegie
Jasmine Goldband /Tribune-Review

About the writer

Ken Fibbe can be reached via e-mail.

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Western Pennsylvania is bucking a national trend depicted in a recent study showing a lackluster picture of arts education, advocates say.

"Pittsburgh routinely outperforms national trends in arts participation," said Mitch Swain, CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. "This area has been great at recognizing that the arts is key to the development of creative skills."

A survey of 7,900 eighth-graders by the National Assessment of Educational Progress found they are taking fewer field trips to art museums, a finding underscored by a broader conclusion: there are vast racial and socioeconomic differences in arts learning.

About 16 percent of students said they visited an art museum or gallery at least once with their class last year, down from 22 percent when the survey was last conducted in 1997.

But the number of students and chaperones visiting the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History in Oakland increased 16 percent between 2007 and 2008, said spokeswoman Ellen James.

"Last year was a robust one with the reopening of the 'Dinosaurs in Their Time' exhibit, and attendance has been great again with lots and lots of kids returning this year," James said.

The survey tested the respondents' knowledge of the arts and found that non-Asian minorities and students from low-income families scored 30 points lower than whites and Asians.

Cornelia Davis, who coordinates the arts and humanities curriculum for Pittsburgh Public Schools, said instructional opportunities are equally available at local schools.

"We keep the amount of art programs and art classes available to kids in wealthy areas on the same scale as kids in poor areas," Davis said.

Davis said art education thrives here, in part, because of widespread support from arts organizations and school officials.

"I have seen arts education in numerous states and countries first hand, and I found that very few places have a unified, collaborative arts education effort from administrators, teachers, museum directors and school boards, like we do here," she said.

Heinz Endowments recently gave $120,000 to Propel Schools to help two of its charter schools start an arts education program that promotes racial tolerance through the arts.

Sarah Tambucci, director of the Downtown-based Arts Education Collaborative, said there is still room for improvement.

"Many times in Pennsylvania schools the only people certified to teach theater classes are the English teachers, so we have still certification issues we need to address," Tambucci said.

Tambucci said arts education could improve with a statewide standardized test.

"The only way we can see how we are doing is to start a formal assessment and once the results are made public, then appropriate funding, and support would follow," Tambucci said. "But sadly, there just isn't a great deal of importance put on art."

The Pennsylvania System of State Assessments, which defines what primary and secondary students should learn each year, tests students in math, reading, writing and science.

Lois Clark, the art and music department chair at Kelly Elementary School in Wilkinsburg, said community interest in the school district's music program has skyrocketed since March, when it received a $90,000 grant from VH1's Save the Music Foundation.

Clark said the money was used to hire a band director, buy more musical instruments and expand the marching band to include fourth- through sixth-graders.

"We now have a new impetus to improve the quality and quantity of our music program, something that is always needed," Clark said.