Music for Kids (and, uh, Promo for Us)

Null Device is in the running for a few Madison Area Music Awards this year in categories like “electronic” and “pop” and “world.”  Additionally, our long-time soundguy Adam Weisenfarth is up for best live sound, our friends in Little Red Wolf are up for country and americana and such.

So there’s that.

But.

I would like to encourage everyone to join MAMAs.org even if you have no  interest in voting for us or our friends.

Seriously.

I harp on this every year, because the MAMAs is a pretty great organization that does a great job of getting music instruments into the hands of schoolkids.  Whatever opinions you may have of the value of the actual awards, the benefit of the organization is hard to dispute. This year, though, it’s even more important. The new Wisconsin state budget is cutting nearly a billion dollars from public education.  A billion.  Dollars.  Local school districts are going to have to cut way, way back, and unfortunately music and arts programs are always the first to get cut.  So, now more than ever, that $5 that it takes to register as a MAMAs voter goes a long way to keeping music alive for kids.

It’s a shame that the fine arts always get radically cut.  I mean, sure, on a purely practical level it was math and science that got me the day job that pays the bills, but it’s the education I got in the arts that makes me happy.  I know I’m not alone in that.

So yeah.  Help out music in the schools.    www.themamas.org