HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — According to studies, children enrolled in music education programs generally have higher levels of academic success than those who don't, and Music Officer Matt Mandrella is passionate about promoting music programs.
"What we're doing is we're building at Huntsville's music scene," Mandrella stated. "What we like to say is were building Huntsville's 'music ecosystem', and arguably the most important part of a music ecosystem, of course grows from education."
Whether it’s learning piano, studio engineering or concert production, growing Huntsville’s music ecosystem will largely depend on having a steady pipeline of talent on the stage and behind the scenes.
"As our music initiative grows and more music happens in the city, not only will we need more performers on stage, but we'll need a lot more of a workforce developing the things that happen behind the scenes, you know, everything from lighting to production," Mandrella stated. "So, there's actually a significant need to continue developing and growing our job force in the behind-the-scenes aspect of our music industry."
Evan Billiter and the Microwave Dave Music Foundation are just one of the many organizations that go into local schools in efforts to introduce music.
"In regard to what we do, going into the other subjects, we're really utilizing all the students left and right side of their brains," Billiter stated. "And we always talk about how that's a more powerful form of learning when you're using both sides of the brain like that, for example, I always bring up, 'how did you learn the alphabet', you sang it, so that memory is stronger when you use music in the arts and that learning."
The Microwave Dave Music Education Foundation (MDMEF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization devoted to the integration of music with learning by bringing musicians into the classroom. The MDMEF board and volunteers are dedicated to inspiring our local youth through music education, which has a proven relationship to academic achievement. Billiter said the student's reception to the program makes it worth it
"It's one of those things where we think a lot of the youth nowadays are not exposed to live music near as much," Billiter stated. "So that joy, number one of them hearing live music for one, but then also incorporating into standards of learning for them in the other subjects as well."
The 8th Annual Microwave Dave Day will be October 16, 2022, from 3:00 PM – 10:00 PM at the Stovehouse Campus. This years’ event will feature over 75 local musicians playing on 3 stages including The Electric Belle, the new Stovehouse indoor venue. Donations from the festival benefit the Microwave Dave Music Education Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3).