FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LOS ANGELES, CA – On Tuesday, December 5, 2023, Education Through Music-Los Angeles (etmla.org) hosted its 18th Year Benefit Gala at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Supporters from the music, film, business, and education communities attended ETM-LA’s annual fundraiser to give the gift of music to local under-resourced schools. The holiday fête honored Shining Star Awardees Christophe Beck (Composer; Disney’s Frozen, Frozen II, Marvel’s Ant-Man), Music Educator Lydia Lee (Vocal Music Director, John Muir Middle School – Burbank), and SEL4CA (Social Emotional Learning Alliance for California).
In honor of Beck, Frozen star Kristen Bell performed the song, “More Than Just the Spare,” which was cut from the original film and “holds a very special place in my heart.” Gala host, Bell’s Do, Re & Mi collaborator Jackie Tohn, engaged the rapt crowd with her witty delivery. The evening featured award presentations by Director Chris Columbus (presented to Beck), Actor Bryan Cranston (presented to Dr. Amy Cranston & SEL4CA), and Music Educator Pam Pouliot (presented to Lee). Cranston called his sister a true “hero” and commented: “Music is something when you’re introduced to early on… you will take with you for the rest of your life. It’s a friend, a companion; it is creative, it’s inspiring.”
Bell also made music students’ wishes come true by joining them on Disney favorite, “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” Championing ETM-LA’s mission, Bell shared that “music is imperative – it is vital; music is a language we all deserve to speak.”
Lee emphasized the importance of music education: “Music is such a great benefit to students’ lives, not just because it brings them joy and peace and happiness, but it teaches them skills that they can take further on in their life.” One of Lee’s students remarked, “Mrs. Lee really gets the best out of us. I think she can bring stuff out of people that most people might not know they already had there.”
Dr. Cranston shared, “I think a big part of what SEL4CA does and what ETM-LA does is really advocating for and educating the general public on why it’s going to take each and every single one of us working together to improve education.”
Performances by Melodica Men (Joe Buono & Tristan Clarke), Kait Dunton & Band, and ETM-LA Alum Brooke Bailey & Choir Ensembles rounded out the gala which raised over $500,000. Executive Director Victoria Lanier shared, “We’re grateful to have champions come alongside our vision to ensure that all students, in particular those from marginalized communities, have equitable opportunities to thrive. Music as a core part of a holistic, well-rounded education is critical to a child’s development.”
Beck remarked, “One of the reasons why what ETM-LA does is so important is it reaches kids [with music] when they’re young at an age when they’re just exploring…it is with my whole heart that I get behind ETM-LA who is helping open the same path [I had] for so many kids.”
Contact: Katie Moskovciak
Phone: (818) 433-7600
Email: press@etmla.org
Website: www.etmla.org
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Education Through Music-Los Angeles is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to provide and promote music in under-resourced schools as part of the core curriculum for every child in order to enhance students’ academic achievement, creativity, and overall development.
For more information: www.etmla.org