In the midst of “Music In Schools Month,” the David Z Foundation (DZF)’s Medley Music Program has announced that it is the proud recipient of funding from Ingenuity's Creative Schools to provide arts initiatives for four Chicago Public Schools. As part of the multi-year grant, the Medley Music Program will partner with Global Lighthouse Studios to provide students at each of the sites, starting this spring, with access to 120 minutes of weekly arts instruction. By the end of the grant, each school will have a catalogue of seven songs and accompanying music videos that represent student voice and choice in Social Emotional Learning.

The schools that will participate in the program include W.E.B. Du Bois Elementary, Johnnie Colemon Academy, Mildred Lavizzo IB World School, and George Washington Carver Elementary. Additionally, some of these sites have been selected for the “Lollapalooza Cohort,” which offers staff and students the ability to celebrate their success, as well as showcase their school’s commitment to the arts, in ways that will be broadly shared. This includes a school banner that will read “Lollapalooza Arts Education Fund Award Winner,” a unique experience to interact with Lollapalooza staff members, who will be documenting the school’s achievements through interviews that highlight the project and innovations in the arts, and the distribution of Lollapalooza-themed items, including tickets, during Lollapalooza staff visits.

“We are thrilled to receive this prestigious grant and have the opportunity to provide innovative and meaningful music programs in these four schools,” said Paulie Z, founder and CEO for DZF. “And to receive the news during ‘Music In Schools Month,’ an initiative that is so near and dear to our hearts, makes it even better.”

DZF, which was created by Paulie Z to honor his late brother David Z who performed in the power trio ZO2 with him and starred alongside him in their own TV series “Z Rock” on the IFC network, supports music education and programming for underprivileged children around the world. Its Medley Music Program offers a unique opportunity for students to collaborate with professional music artists to write and produce an original broadcast-quality song with an accompanying music video. To learn more about the David Z Foundation, please watch their new promo video that tells the full story of the organization: 

For more information about DZF, visit davidzfoundation.org.