Help Keep Music Alive for Kids

For over six years, music teacher Phil Arnold has had a dream job. He earns a small stipend to teach the art of jazz improvisation to children five days a week. He lives frugally, and this small steady income has enabled him to pay his monthly bills while doing what he loves most — teaching music to children.

Without warning and for no apparent reason, State funding he has received for teaching the highly acclaimed program was abruptly cut off in May 2024. The weekly year-round classes he teaches are offered free of charge to children in under-served communities, and Phil does not believe the children should be deprived of their music classes simply because of an arbitrary decision made in the state legislature.

So Phil has decided to continue teaching the classes with no financial compensation. Grant writers are working to find alternate sources to fund his program, but as no advance warning was given by the State that all funding would be completely cut off in the new fiscal year, it will take months to locate a new funding source.

In the meantime, Phil has recently received an ultimatum to pay the State $3,000 in land taxes by July 2024 or have his house put up for auction.

Your donation will help Phil keep his house and continue teaching music classes to children. Thank you for your generous support.