A Few Examples of How Organizations May Use the Funds
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NEW MEXICO JAZZ WORKSHOP

The New Mexico Jazz Workshop is the premier jazz presenting and education organization in New Mexico. Through concert presentations and educational programs for children and adults, the NMJW promotes awareness and appreciation for jazz and fosters understanding between cultures. While the organization is committed to showcasing the best and very broadest interpretation of jazz, it is also concerned with the creation of programming that is responsive to the unique regional and cultural aspects of New Mexico. This is accomplished by fostering a local music scene and collaborating with other community and artistic organizations.

Though known for its summer Jazz Under the Stars and Salsa Under the Stars programs, the NMJW also has a vigorous jazz education program. This program would be the primary beneficiary of QOLI funding, with which the NMJW could:

• Expand the jazz outreach program beyond its two current schools.

• Among the other educational programs likely to benefit from increased funding are:

• Hands-on classes in adult jazz education in chorus, divadom, blues guitar, big band and improvisation. Various topics in jazz history are explored in the Adult Lecture Series.
   
• honor Jazz Ensembles - Big band performance ensembles comprised of distinguished players from Albuquerque high school and middle school bands.
   
• Jazz Camp - Hands-on instruction in a month-long summer day camp. Children 6-12 learn drumming, dancing, marimba, improvisation, visual arts and more.
   
• Roots of Jazz - a one-hour assembly at APS elementary schools designed to teach students about the origins of jazz music.
   
• Summer Jazz Intensive - A six-week summer program at the Albuquerque Academy for mid and high school students that combines daily instruction with weekly master classes.
   
• Summer Big Band - Now students who want to continue developing their jazz band skills during the summer have an outlet. Learn more about our newest 2006 jazz offering.

“We believe in encouraging young students to live their dreams. We encourage boys and girls to study and perform by providing scholarships based upon need and talent to students 12-18. We make those dreams come alive.”
                      - Ed Uhlman, Executive Director
 

NEW MEXICO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The New Mexico Symphony Orchestra The New Mexico Symphony Orchestra is nationally recognized as being at the forefront of all American orchestras in the quality and breadth of its educational and community engagement programs. Almost half of the 130,000 people who attend NMSO performances attend free concerts, including more than 50,000 young people served by our educational programs. This makes the NMSO the largest non-governmental provider of music education in the state.

The NMSO also has a long history of performing free concerts in neighborhoods throughout Bernalillo County, always in cooperation with a neighborhood partner.Excellent as these programs are, limited financial resources do not allow us to do more than scratch the surface of all requests and all needs. Some of our most successful experiences in the past have been working with neighborhoods to celebrate their events - Valley Pride Day, the opening of a new neighborhood center, or the arrival of structural beams from the World Trade Center in the Barelas neighborhood. Possible partners could include Acción New Mexico, Habitats for Humanity, the Red Cross, as well as cultural partners like the Explora Museum, Albuquerque Museum, Museum of Natural History, the University of New Mexico, and many more.

Our education program currently serves (without charge) every APS student in grades 1-5 with musical experiences tied to curricula and developed in close cooperation with APS. We also serve many non-APS students.

QOLI funding would allow us to:

• Provide more than one concert per year per APS student.
   
• Add programming for those parts of K-12 we currently do not serve - kindergarten and pre-school as well as grades 6-12.
   
• Significantly expand our "Symphony School" program, which offers needy middle and high school students with weekly free lessons from members of the NMSO.
   
• Reinstate the "Ambassadors of Music" program, which placed NMSO musicians in middle school bands and orchestras for repeated visits over the course of a semester.
   
• Reinstate a Family Concert program which serves pre-school children.

"Funding from the QOLI would allow us to perform many more free concerts in neighborhoods around Bernalillo County, at senior and community centers, parks, and other neighborhood facilities. These concerts would include partnerships with neighborhood musical or civic groups to develop programming and audiences. The NMSO is eager to do much more of this grass roots community work and enthusiastically looks forward to passage of the QOLI to make possible a major expansion of this kind of community partnership."
           - Greg Ellena, NMSO Board Chair

 

INDIAN PUEBLO CULTURAL CENTER

Owned and operated by the 19 Indian Pueblos of New Mexico, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center opened its doors in August, 197 and today, more than 200,000 people visit each year. Purpose of the IPCC is to showcase the history and accomplishments of the Pueblo people, from Pre-Columbian to current time. Its central focus is a 10,000 sq. ft. museum of the authentic history and artifacts of traditional Pueblo cultures and their contemporary art. This permanent exhibit highlights the creativity and adaptation which made possible the survival, diversity and achievements of each of the 19 Pueblos. The Center also has small, changing exhibit that highlights the work of living traditional and contemporary artists, usually those who conduct demonstrations at the Center.

Almost 90% of its current programming has been free and open to the public, but just this year, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center began charging daily admission to the facility. Nevertheless, all Native Americans are exempt from paid admissions to the Center.

Program offerings are advertised in free local publications for the disabled (Bridges) and to seniors (Prime Time) and to children (NM Kids). IPCC’s e-mail list serve includes addresses of organizations, who serve diverse socio-economic groups such as Native American reservation and charter schools, ARCA,

Additional funding from the Quality of Life Initiative would make it possible to do the following:

• Incorporate additional traditional dance performance opportunities during the week for school tours. Currently, dance performances are offered only on the weekends except for one week in April and one week in October.
   
• Support the development/production of new works for the stage by Native Americans to include workshops and inaugural productions to show in New Mexico. Or, being existing productions by Native Americans to New Mexico.
   
• Expand the annual Southwest Indian Film Theatre venue to include film-making workshops for youth. This includes: Teacher(s), computers, software.
   
• Bring noted Native American authors to New Mexico for readings/lectures that are otherwise out of the price range of the Center (e.g. Sherman Alexie @ $10 - $15,000).
   
• Offer in-depth public lecture series in specialized fields related to New Mexico indigenous history, culture, language, environment, etc.
   
• Expand our Native Winter Story series to include more storytellers.
   
• Develop a summer program for the Children’s Pueblo House Museum that includes onsite and distance learning about fetish carving, willow basket weaving from Pueblo artisans located throughout the state.
             - Tazbah MuCullah, Marketing Director
  

ONCE UPON A THEATRE

ONCE UPON A THEATRE (OUT), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit New Mexico corporation, is a touring theatre company dedicated to improving the education of the children in our area. OUT’S program brings into schools the joy, excitement and developmental and academic stimulus of quality live theatre and assists teachers in maximizing the experience through effective teaching tools before and after performances.

OUT’S productions include experienced adult actors, full costuming and detailed sets that are fully portable. By performing in schools, ONCE UPON A THEATRE eliminates the coordination and expense of arranging transportation for off-site productions, and less time away from the classroom is required.

ONCE UPON A THEATRE has also created a model for sequential arts programming. Teacher Activity/Study Guides with previewing information and post viewing activities are sent to the schools in advance of the performance. At the beginning of each presentation there is an introduction period to explain the production, add historical information, and inform the young people about audience etiquette and participation. The performance is followed by a question and answer period with the young audience. Teachers may then use the Activity/Study Guide to assist them in incorporating innovative drama techniques into their classroom curriculum. These activities are simple, practical, and fun and go beyond the arts to provide relevant projects and exercises in areas such as science, geography, history, social studies, literature, reading, listening, and Character Counts.

With QOLI funding, ONCE UPON A THEATRE would be able to offer a greater number of free performances at schools, hospitals, and community centers.

"Because the schools we serve are so large, one performance per school just doesn't reach enough children. With grant funding, Once Upon A Theatre has been able to offer additional performances free of charge - about 25 last year. With Quality of Life funding, Once Upon Theatre could increase this to 50, reaching many more students in Bernalillo County with our program."
             - Myrna Smyer, Executive Director

STEPS DANCE ACADEMY

STEPS Dance Academy provides a comprehensive curriculum of year round studies in Ballet Folklorico (professional to beginner), Latin Dance, Folklorico Costuming, Mexican Visual Art, Latino Theater, Southwestern Healing Arts and Foodways, Arts Training for Classroom Teachers and a cultural exchange program with Mexican artists and performers. Its production series includes professional and student productions and a collaborative series with the National Hispanic Cultural Center, City of Albuquerque Tricentennial and Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce. Its Grupo Lumbre is a university-based pre-professional company sponsored by UNM’s Centro de la Raza.

With QOLI funding, STEPS Dance Academy would:

• Expand its class size
   
• Integrate new curricula to include hip hop, salsa and ballet
   
• Create an archive center
   
• Implement intergenerational classes
   
• Provide tutoring
   
• Expand its performance space to enable expansion of its partnerships and presenting of visiting artists
                 - Bernadette Rodriguez, Executive Director

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