Powerfully delivering the message that all children deserve to experience the transformative power of arts and music in school, today Turnaround Arts, the signature program of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, released a new music video of “Everyday People,” produced by Playing For Change.
Credit/Copyright: Sandra Selva/Playing For Change
With thousands of Turnaround Arts students from across the country singing and dancing to Sly and the Family Stone’s “Everyday People,” the video also features such Turnaround Artists as Paula Abdul, Elizabeth Banks, Citizen Cope, Misty Copeland, Carla Dirlikov, Frank Gehry, Josh Groban, Jack Johnson, Yo-Yo Ma, Keb’ Mo’, Jason Mraz, Tim Robbins, Doc Shaw, Trombone Shorty, Chad Smith, Bernie Williams, Alfre Woodard and John Lloyd Young, among others.
“For every student who is represented here today, we know that there are so many others who still don’t have access to the arts,” said First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2016 White House Turnaround Arts Talent Show. “So while we’re proud of the progress we’ve made, we know that we are nowhere near finished. We need to keep on advocating for arts education. We need to keep on expanding the Turnaround Arts Program, no matter who is sitting in the Oval Office next year.”
The video was unveiled this week at the White House Turnaround Arts Talent Show, where students from Turnaround Arts schools nationwide performed for First Lady Michelle Obama. The Talent Show showcased the power of the arts and music in school, while celebrating President Obama’s arts education achievements. Students from as far as Hawai’i and California to New York and D.C. performed alongside their Turnaround Artist mentors including Keb’ Mo’, Tim Robbins, Paula Fuga, Bernie Williams, Irvin Mayfield, Lil Buck, and others.
Turnaround Arts empowers high-need, low performing schools with innovative arts, dance, theater and music programs, arts integration across subject areas, arts resources, musical instruments, and high-profile artist mentors, as a proven strategy to help address broader school challenges and close the achievement gap.
“I believe that every child deserves to go to school in an environment full of learning, creativity and joy, and to graduate high school with a rich, complete education,” said Paula Abdul. “Those making these important decisions for our kids, must be reminded that even the country’s most challenged schools can and should be transformed into places where we would all want to send our children.”
Research conducted by Booz Allen Hamilton revealed an average 12.6% improvement in reading proficiency and 22.5% improvement in math proficiency, increases in attendance and significant decreases in suspensions following Turnaround Arts’ infusion of the arts into struggling schools. The program’s success is leading to another expansion of the program, which will increase to 68 schools at the start of next school year.
Six million school children do not have access to art or music instruction in their schools, and millions more children have only minimal exposure to the arts. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which President Obama signed into law in December 2015, provides more funding and new guidelines for states and districts to invest in arts and music education for all children as part of a “well-rounded” education.
Playing For Change is a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music, born from the shared belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. PFC spreads their positive message for humanity to millions of people through inspiring multi-cultural music videos, a live global touring band and a 501c3 Foundation supporting music education around the world.
Nationally, Turnaround Arts is made possible through the collaboration of government agencies, non-profit partners, and generous corporate and private donations.
