Band Parents’ Role in International Acclaim
What a triumph--the Santa Monica High School Symphony Orchestra being the first public school group ever to win first place at the International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna, Austria. The student musicians, Conductor Jeff Edmons and the parents who raised the funds to finance the trip deserve mass quantities of praise.
But none of this glory would have been possible without the past 10 years of work contributed by another group--the Santa Monica Band Parents Assn. Each year the SMBPA contributes the proceeds from its weekly bingo games--between $75,000 and $125,000--to the district. Without that money, our music program would not be internationally acclaimed, it would be ancient history.
The Band Parents also serve as advocates of the music program before the school board. Two summers ago, when the board cut Samohi’s orchestra teacher to a part-time position, the SMBPA’s public protest caused the decision to be reversed, which resulted in the hiring of Jeff Edmons.
It wouldn’t be right for a group so instrumental in the success of our district’s music program to remain unsung heroes.
JEAN SEDILLOS
Santa Monica
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