As part of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 7 – 13), Music Doing Good in Schools celebrates the teachers who inspire our next generation of Houston musicians, with Now You Has Jazz, a student created and performed program, May 10, 2012, 7:30 pm, on stage at The Hobby Center, Zilkha Hall. All ticket sales benefit Music Doing Good In Schools outreach program, an innovative, interdisciplinary, musical-arts enrichment program for students 7 to 18 who want to take their skills to a higher level. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children and may be purchased online or at www.thehobbycenter.org or by calling (713) 315-2525.

Also joining the students from MacGregor Elementary School, Alexander Hamilton Middle School, and Phillis Wheatley High School on stage is the Conrad Johnson Regional Youth Orchestra. The Conrad Johnson Regional Youth Orchestra recently traveled to perform in the 2012 New York City Jazz Festival at Lincoln Center where they received a standing ovation. Many of these young musicians are from underserved populations in Houston area elementary through high schools. Their visit to NYC included a music college tour with suggested visits to Julliard and The New School. The travel was covered in part by a grant from Music Doing Good in Schools Outreach Program.

The late Conrad “Prof” Johnson was a tremendous influence on music education and jazz entertainment around Texas and the nation for many years. While at Houston’s Kashmere High School, he cultivated some of the most outstanding high school jazz orchestras and musicians in the world. In 1999, Prof. Johnson established the Conrad O. Johnson Music and Fine Arts Foundation to assist area students interested in music and the arts, with programs to aid in the furtherance of their artistic skills and ambitions. Music Doing Good and Conrad Johnson shared the same passion for ensuring the next generation of musicians.

With the continued cutting of music programs across the country at every education level, students are lacking in an area that could help them socially, academically and dramatically improve their developmental and life skills. Music Doing Good in Schools is designed to enlighten, motivate and stimulate student creativity using a diversified approach, which brings together music, dance and theater to support core curriculum learning such as math and science in a challenging, interactive and engaging environment where students work in harmony to create a live musical production.

Buying a ticket to this concert makes the purchaser a micro-philanthropist, as all ticket proceeds go to the Music Doing Good in Schools Outreach Fund. This fund not only helped send the Conrad Johnson Youth Orchestra to NYC, but also enables school-aged children to be exposed to the arts on an on-going basis, in an era where budget cuts are causing these programs to disappear. Music Doing Good believes in turning music into money to support worthy non-profit organizations working in health, music, education and children’s charities. It is the goal of the organization to build like-minded audiences who want to give back to this community….or the next generation of Houston philanthropists.

Aisha Ussery Adams and Phillip Hall, the directors of Music Doing Good in Schools, are educators with 27 years of teaching experience between them. They are also professional working musicians with extensive resumes. By working with industry professionals and an arts-based curriculum, the programs aims at developing the whole child, thus increasing their learning and artistic potential.

Music Doing Good, Inc. is a 501 c3 performing arts organization whose mission is philanthropy through music. Through world-class concert events and music education programs, we generate friends and funds for outstanding non-profits working in health, education, music and children’s charities, enabling patrons to give back to the community.

For more information, please visit www.musicdoinggood.org or call 713.524.2854 x4923.