Joy of Music School

Music Notes – Newsletter

Category Archives: Community


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A Message To Parents

Hey parents of JoMS students! Just like you, we believe your children deserve the very best opportunities in music education. The staff here feeds on your kids’ enthusiasm and works hard to find ways to help them improve. A lot of times you’ll find us steering them toward auditions for orchestras, choirs, bands, camps, and even colleges.

We know it can be overwhelming and sometimes a bit scary for parents, siblings and other family members. But we have a message for you: We are with you all the way! We love finding people, foundations and companies that make it possible for your kids to attend camps and orchestras—absolutely free of charge, including travel.

We can help turn a mundane summer into an experience of a lifetime for your musical kids. And we regularly help kids and families through the rocky process of college applications. We love doing it—and we love the results! So, when opportunity knocks, feel that beat and go with it. You won’t regret it!

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Swing-A-Ding-Ding

Our second annual Swing for Joy fundraiser golf tournament was a smashing success. Held on a smoldering summer morning —Aug. 27, which happens to be the birthday of our founder, James A. Dick—it featured 61 participants and raised almost $5,000 for the School. “One of the real highlights was the turnout,” says Cindi Alpert, our board president and the organizer of Swing for Joy. “There were so many new faces this year. It was wonderful.” For that we can thank a solid marketing effort that included multiple advertising spots on Cindi’s radio stations, 106.1 the River and 104.9 Good Time Oldies.

One of the participants was Arthur Dick, son of James, who came all the way from North Carolina and played in the tournament. We were thrilled to welcome him. The winning team was Brad Hall, Jerry Glenn, Darryl Whitehead, and Chase Wilhite. Special shoutout to JoMS board member Damon Falconnier, who played golf for the first time that day and whose team was able to use some of his very good shots! Afterward we enjoyed a fun awards luncheon, with raffles and prizes and delicious food from Archer’s BBQ. We are most grateful to everyone involved and we look forward to seeing you next year at Swing for Joy III!

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Nothing Hum-Drum About This Drum

What does the Caribbean sound like? Imagine an island beach and then listen for music. Hear that? Yes, your brain just played the steel drum, or steel pan. That magical pinging, singing tone has arrived at the Joy of Music School, thanks to Randy Kerns, co-owner of Panyard, Inc., makers of musical steel pans and accessories. Randy, who serves on the UT School of Music Advisory Board, recently toured JoMS with Executive Director Frank Graffeo.

Randy brought a donation—a charming pink steel pan with a stand whose base is a pair of plastic “bare feet.” (They almost make you feel the sand between your toes.) Randy is a musician himself and hopes “to encourage the School to start a steel pan class.” He included a stack of brand new teaching and learning books, and CDs as well.

During the tour Randy mentioned he plays accordion with his family, usually around the holidays. “Maybe we could form the world’s first steel pan/accordion band,” Frank suggested. “We might have a recruiting challenge,” Randy answered, “but it’s worth a try!”

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The Intersection of Vision and Generosity

 

“On the road again,” sings Willie Nelson, “I just can’t wait to get on the road again!” No matter how captivating the traveling life may be, every road warrior eventually needs fuel, sustenance, and rest. Nobody meets those needs better than one of the Joy of Music School’s most faithful sustainers, Pilot Flying J. Pilot Flying J is partnering with the Haslam Family Foundation as Presenting Sponsors of our Holiday Sparkles & Spirits fundraiser again this year (see page 1).

Founder Jim Haslam’s company and his family’s foundation annually pair up to make sure our event is a success, but more important, they help assure our volunteers can solidly carry out our mission. The Foundation and corporate support are proof to us that Mr. Haslam’s vision is matched only by his generosity. Pilot Flying J stores (more than 750, serving 1.6 million daily guests) line the highways of the continent. So, next time you’re on the road again and you spot a Pilot Flying J, pump the brakes. Stop in for fuel, rest, and goodness. Reflect on how those good folks support the art and discipline of music for deserving kids here in East Tennessee. Then, hop back in your car, turn up the music, and ease on down the road.

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Search and Ye Shall Find Us

When you do a Google search and see those ads off to the side of your results page, there’s something more than meets the eye going on, and believe it or not, the Joy of Music School is in that realm. We have had a years-long relationship with a UT Business Analytics Prof. Julie Ferrara, who assigns her students to create and manage Google search-based ads for JoMS. This online visibility is made possible through an in-kind grant we get from Google for up to $10,000 value per month in Google Ads.

The result is, we get visibility when people type in terms that indicate they might be volunteer teacher material or might want to attend Holiday Sparkles & Spirits. This goes beyond the obvious person searching for volunteer opportunities or someone who types in “holiday charity benefi t parties in Knoxville.” The ads are based on words used in people’s searches. If someone local searches Google to buy or sell a guitar, for example, their search result might also get our ad on the side that says, “Teach Guitar to Disadvantaged Kids in Knoxville,” which clicks through to our site. Subtle, no?

The likelihood that our ad is at or near the top of the page depends on the amount we “bid” for those search terms. Fortunately, we don’t have to pay for the bid when our term is used to display an ad, because Google gives us an allowance to cover that expense. For-profi t companies pay lots of money for this kind of thing. But we get it for free thanks to Google, Julie Ferrara and her class, year after year.

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