Music Center’s Showcase of Artists

* “Going to the Arts Store” (May 2) was an excellent feature on the Music Center education division’s Showcase of Artists. Thank you for sharing the excitement of this annual event with your readers.

The Music Center education division staff works year-round to select the artists who appear at the showcase. When teachers and school administrators attend the showcase to “shop” for arts programs, they see artists who have been carefully screened through a rigorous audition process and then trained by experts in the field of the arts and education to work in local schools.

The staff also prepares study guides and lesson plans that enable teachers to turn a performance or a workshop into a real learning experience. Following the showcase, staff members guide teachers and administrators in selecting programs to meet their particular needs for the upcoming school year. Many schools work in partnership with the education division to create long-term arts education programs. Other schools take advantage of teacher training in an effort to incorporate the arts in the curriculum on an ongoing basis.

The education division offers a valuable service, one that has a positive impact on young people and the entire community. The arts give children the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to grow physically, emotionally and intellectually. Each year, more than 1 million students in schools throughout Southern California benefit from the work of the Music Center education division.

CAROLINE L. AHMANSON

Co-Chairman

Music Center Education Council

Los Angeles