A Letter to BNM’s Families
Dear Past & Present Be Natural Music Families,
At the end of a ridiculous year where every routine in my family was upended, I find myself grateful for the little things that helped us keep a little sanity. Kids are not built for sheltering in place. They need an outlet. For my son, Be Natural Music was a lifeline. It was a connection to other people. It was something to look forward to. It was a creative outlet. I don’t know how my son would have made it all this time without his weekly Be Natural rehearsals to look forward to.
As a parent, I worry about my kids – obviously. In 2020 Be Natural gave me just a little less to worry about. If your kids are anything like mine, I’m sure you can relate. Their weekly music lessons there are HEALTHY, in a year where very little was. But that said, like everyone else, Be Natural Music got sucker-punched in 2020. Matt and his team have done their damndest to keep the music playing, but the program that so many kids rely on for their music lessons is in jeopardy.
Be Natural’s Scholarship Program is dedicated to helping students pay for music lessons who otherwise couldn’t. The program is more substantial than most of us realize. The Scholarship Program requires roughly $15,000 every six months – money that comes mostly through fundraisers and donations. As you can imagine, 2020 has severely undercut the Scholarship Program’s fundraising capabilities. In the past six months, the program has generated only $7,000 of the $15,000 it requires to stay solvent. There are enough funds to keep the Scholarship Program alive through January 2021. After that, without help, the Scholarship Program will have to shut down. Students who count on those scholarships will suffer, and the entire music program will suffer.
Be Natural Music works so hard to provide a unique and positive program. Like me, no doubt, you see how much our children’s lives are enriched because of it, and I’m sure you share my profound gratitude to Matt and his team for making it happen.
With that in mind, I am asking you to join me in helping Be Natural’s Scholarship Program cross the finish line and keep the program alive. If you are able, please consider making a tax-deductible gift to the program via any of the methods below:
Digital Donation: https://www.benaturalmusic.live/donate
Personal Check made out to William James Association with “Be Natural Music” in the memo.
Mailed to: Be Natural Music PO Box 2057 Santa Cruz, CA 95063
Thank you all for your continued support of Be Natural Music. The difference the program makes in the lives of our children is beyond words. Let’s keep it going.
Have a wonderful holiday season and ROCK ON!
–Sam Christensen, DDS
Be Natural Music Parent