Rhythm Gym: A project of Community Partners a 501(c)3 non-profit.: News & Info

November, 2006

Dear Friend,

Please join Rhythm Gym (RG) for our Winter 10 to the Power of 3 Virtual Fundraiser™ and eBay Silent Auction, taking place on your desktopfrom November 11th - November 18th. That’s right! No return envelopes, no stamps, no suits, no dresses, no valet parking required. You don’t even have to change out of your robe and bunny slippers to participate.

Rhythm Gym (RG) is committed to enriching the lives of people in diverse and economically disadvantaged communities of Southern California by providing music and movement based activities that emphasize community, creativity and healthy living.

At Rhythm Gym we believe that our culture and communities can benefit from the organic experience of creating music together, returning to the time-honored tradition practiced by many world cultures, turning consumers into creators and bystanders into participating citizens. RG programs combine physical activities such as guided movement and drumming in a creative environment to promote teamwork, socializing, healthy lifestyles and fun.

Why Rhythm Gym?
It’s good for kids! It’s good for families! We are bringing the programs to schools, wellness centers, health clubs, local service organizations and other community-based settings.

With the US is facing a national obesity epidemic, Rhythm Gym offers an alternative to staying fit. According to the Centers for Disease Control 30% of adults and 16% of children 6-19 years of age are considered overweight and at risk for serious disease, especially among minority groups in urban areas. Without accessible, creative and fun choices for fitness, especially for people in disadvantaged communities, the numbers will surely continue to rise.

After-school programs, proven to be both a deterrent to juvenile crime and beneficial to learning and development, have seen ongoing fluctuations in funding locally and nationally. Resources are necessary to provide a safe setting and provide creative, results-oriented programs that offer positive developmental outcomes to youth in after-school settings. What’s more is that results show that participation in arts and music-based educational programs, such as Rhythm Gym, is beneficial in the academic development of our children.

Why Should I Participate?
Traditional fundraising events typically have overhead costs such as postage and stationery for regular mail campaigns, or 40 – 50% hospitality costs for gala dinners. That means that fewer of your contributed dollars go to the people our programs are designed to benefit. Since this campaign is being conducted only electronically, these costs are avoided and 100% of your contribution goes to toward program costs to benefit youth and families

How Does it Work?
There are 2 ways to participate: You can make a donation at www.communitypartners.kintera.org/donate. Select Rhythm Gym from the drop-down menu to make your tax-deductible contribution. It couldn’t be more convenient!

And, from November 11- 18, you can participate in our special SILENT AUCTION on eBAY. Click here http://www.missionfish.org/NPMMF/nphomepage.jsp?NP_ID=14139 to bid on great items like Meinl Cymbals signed by the Escovedo family, a brand new LP Giovanni conga, artwork, drumming books and more!

How Will My Donation Be Used?
While we understand that you have many options in selecting programs to support, we hope that the impact Rhythm Gym will have on the youth and families of Southern California will influence your decision. Your generous support will allow us to expand our program in the San Fernando Valley and Greater Los Angeles areas.

In our first 6 months of operation (2005-06), we served 160 people. In 2006-07 we have an aggressive strategic plan goal to increase direct participation in our programs to 420 individuals from diverse, economically disadvantaged communities by providing accessible, participatory music- and movement-based programs. We can only do this with your support.

What’s Next?
Help us reach or surpass our goal of $5,000 in the next 10 days. After you have made your tax-deductible donation, please pass this message on to 10 of your friends, family and colleagues. Ask them to make a contribution and then pass the message on to 10 of their friends. If 10 people donate just $10 each and each person passes it on to 10 more friends who each donate $10, we’ll be at almost 25% of our goal! If those10 pass it on to 10 more people, we’ll have more than doubled our goal, dramatically increasing the impact of our programs. That’s the power of "10 to the Power of 3".

Thank you for choosing Rhythm Gym as a part of your charitable giving for 2006. We appreciate your support.

Best Regards,


Janet Marinaccio, MA
Executive Director
Rhythm Gym

PS. Don’t forget to visit our eBay Auctions November 11 - 18, 2006. If you are an eBay seller, you can use eBay Giving Works to list items on eBay and donate all or part of the final sale price to Rhythm Gym.



*Community Partners, established in 1992 as a registered 501(c)3 non-profit, serves as fiscal sponsor for this project

READ Rhythm Gym News/August 2006 edition - Click here

READ Rhythm Gym News/June 2006 edition - Click here

Rhythm Gym has received a $25,000 grant from NAMM (International Music Products Association) to conduct an informal, qualitative study of the efficacy of their programs.

"Since the programs are unique and innovative," says Executive Director, Janet Marinaccio, "people don't really have a frame of reference for our service offerings. The study will help us qualify the benefits while we are providing services to individuals in need."

The study will consist of pre-, interim-, and post-training evaluations. Positions will be available for part-time facilitators, called 'Rhythm Gym Trainers' as well as volunteers to assist with data collection efforts.

Rhythm Gym is seeking additional funding so that the scope of the research can be broadened and allow for repeated application and evaluation for comparative results.

For more information, email Janet Marinaccio at Janet@RhythmGym.org.

Read about Rhythm Gym's Drumathon from Vic Firth's Newsletter!

Vic Firth Newsletter

Rhythm Gym began out of an idea that co-founder Kalani, Director of Programs and Training, had in 2002 to combine making music and exercise. Says Kalani, “I have been a member of many health clubs over the years and participated in just about every kind of program. While I enjoyed the exercise aspects of most programs, I felt there was something missing from the experience. I’m sure many others have felt the same way, finding themselves sweating in a room with 50 other people and never once having direct contact with any of them.” Kalani combined the physical aspects of aerobic exercise with the creative and social aspects of group drumming and presented what he then called “Tashiko Fitness Drumming” classes at a local gym. It was a hit.

In 2003, Janet Marinaccio, Rhythm Gym’s Executive Director, met Kalani at a “Drums of Peace” drum circle event that she had organized. The two began collaborating on how to best serve the community, especially its children, by providing drum circles and fitness activities in community-based and after-school programs. It was a natural extension for this work, which serves as a life-enhancing tool for everyone who uses it. In 2005, they decided to take their idea to Community Partners, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit, that provides fiscal sponsorship and administrative capacity so that new and innovative non-profits can focus on services.

Both Kalani and Janet bring over 20 years of professional experience each. Janet has a Master’s degree in Psychology/Marriage & Family Therapy from Phillips Graduate Institute, a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Niagara University and almost a decade of non-profit leadership experience working at Goodwill Southern California. Kalani is an acclaimed author, master drum circle facilitator, Orff-Schulwerk practitioner, accomplished musician and recording artist, and holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from California State University, Northridge.

Why Rhythm Gym?
It’s good for kids! It’s good for families!

Results show that participation in arts and music-based educational programs is beneficial in the academic development of our children, yet arts funding has been slashed by 90%. This puts at an extreme disadvantage the 30% + of children in poverty in our target communities in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley who must rely on the public school system for arts education.

If that weren’t enough, we are in the midst of a national obesity epidemic, especially among minority groups in urban areas, with 30% of adults and 16% of children 6-19 years of age considered overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Without accessible, creative and fun choices for fitness, especially for people in underserved communities, the numbers will surely continue to rise.

After-school programs, proven to be both a deterrent to juvenile crime and beneficial to learning and development, have seen a 40% reduction in funding locally and nationally. Funding is necessary to provide a safe setting, provide creative, results-oriented programs that create positive developmental outcomes to youth in after-school settings.

Rhythm Gym programs contribute to addressing these issues, in a fun and creative way combining basic musical/rhythmic concepts with easy guided movement activities. The active learning that happens in a Rhythm Gym session features proven strategies that give kids resources that will benefit them throughout life.


Program Overviews
Rhythm Gym offers 4 interactive, creative and fun programs for everyone of all ages.

INSPIRE
An informal music-making experience for people of all ages. The only requirement is a desire to have fun. Strategies include: Group drumming, facilitated activities & games, socializing opportunities.

CONNECTIONS
Health & wellness focus with an emphasis on sharing and personal connections. Strategies include: Guided gentle movement, stretching and breathing, partner & group music making.

IMAGINE
An outcome-oriented, educational program that inspires artful learning and healthy choices in our young people. Strategies include: guided movement, individual, partner & group music making, curriculum connections, reflection and discussion.

VITALITY
A conditioning program that emphasizes timing, coordination, and physical fitness. Strategies include: stretching & breathing, socializing activities, body percussion & vocalizing, group and partner movement, music making and drumming.


A Word to Our Sponsors
While we are a non-profit with a focus on bringing these services to those most in need, we are offering these programs throughout the community. We will provide matching funds derived from direct mail and special events, private donations as well as services offered at reasonable fees. That means we are not entirely reliant on charitable giving as our sole means of program support and sustainability.

Learn more about Community Partners at www.communitypartners.org

Dear Friend,

We believe that music is the universal language shared by all people. We believe that access to rhythmic arts broadens our capacity to learn. We believe that playful learning is as essential to life as our heartbeat. We are Rhythm Gym and we are committed to enriching the lives of people in underserved communities of Southern California by providing drum circles, rhythmic arts and movement-based activities that emphasize community, creative learning, and healthy living.

Take a look at the faces of people around you, and you can see that our society is stressed, over-scheduled and often disconnected. Children live with ambiguity. At Rhythm Gym, we believe that our culture and communities can benefit from the organic experience of creating music together, returning to the time-honored tradition practiced by many world cultures, turning consumers into creators and bystanders into participating citizens. The dynamic group processes provided in drum circles and other community-based rhythmic activities create the context for people to come together in the spirit of respect, cooperation and shared goals, providing opportunities for learning, development and healing in fragmented communities.

Using the universal language of music to begin a dialog between people from diverse backgrounds, Rhythm Gym program participation creates a natural support network for children, families and the communities they live in. The Annie E. Casey Foundation, champions for family strengthening says, “…children do well when their families do well, and families do better when they live in supportive neighborhoods.”

Did you know…

• That despite overwhelming evidence that participation in arts and music-based educational programs is beneficial in the development of our children, arts funding has been slashed by 90%?

• That after-school programs, proven to be both a deterrent to juvenile crime and beneficial to learning and development, have met a similar fate, with a 40% reduction in funding?

• That the 30% + of children in poverty who must rely on the public school system for arts education in our target communities in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley are at an extreme disadvantage because of the proven correlation between active participation in music and academic success?

At Rhythm Gym, we aspire to cultivate a love for music and a passion for creativity. There is nothing like seeing the sparkle in the eyes of a child who has made music for the first time or the look of accomplishment in an adult who has played an instrument again after many years. But more than that, through developmental, outcomes-based programs, participants

- learn valuable musical skills that enhance their awareness of rhythm
- increase literacy and language fluency through inter-disciplinary learning
- enhance communication and collaboration skills through cooperative games and activities
- feel sense of belonging and well-being by being active community members

The transformation is remarkable.

In order to offer these essential after-school, family-strengthening and community-based programs, Rhythm Gym needs your support. Our goal is to raise $50,000 for our first year of operation. While we understand you have many options in selecting programs to support, we hope that the potential impact Rhythm Gym will have on the communities served will influence your decision. Your tax-deductible contribution will allow us to expand the availability of services beyond January 2006.

The project management team brings a wealth of experience and expertise. Janet Marinaccio, the project’s Executive Director, has over 20 years of leadership and non-profit executive administration experience, including managing budgets and contracts for multiple community services and programs. Kalani, Director of Education & Wellness Programs, has been a keynote presenter, speaker, performer, author, and educator for the past 20 years. He has also performed with a number of notable music legends and now brings his talents to Rhythm Gym. You can contribute with confidence knowing that your donation will be used to benefit the people we serve.

Thank you in advance for your support. If you have questions, feel free to contact Janet Marinaccio for more information at jmarinaccio@mac.com or (818) 501-0840.

Best regards,

Lisa Jordan
Chair
Rhythm Gym Advisory Board

If you want to support the Rhythm Gym, just send your tax-deductible gift of:

___ $50 ___ $100 ___ $250 ___ $500 ___ $1000 ___ Other $ _______

Just send a check, payable to Community Partners* FBO Rhythm Gym to the address below. Or if you prefer to charge your Visa, MasterCard, AMEX or Discover card, contact Janet Marinaccio at (818)501-0840 or jmarinaccio@mac.com

If you'd like to support us in other ways, such as volunteering or making in-kind donations, send us an email jmarinaccio@mac.com. You can help with:
____ fund development
____ volunteer assistance
____ in-kind donation - we need the following:
- All-in-One Copier/Fax/Printer/Scanner
- Apple G-5 Computer
- Microsoft Office Software for Mac
- Drums and Percussion Instruments

Rhythm Gym
11862 Balboa Blvd. #159
Granada Hills, CA 91344-8107

*Community Partners, established in 1992 as a registered 501(c)3 non-profit, serves as fiscal sponsor for this project.

Los Angeles, CA --

Rhythm Gym was accepted as a project of Community Partners, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit incubator service in Los Angeles, which serves a fiscal agent. Rhythm Gym is committed to enriching the lives of people in underserved communities of Southern California by providing music- and movement-based activities that emphasize community, creativity and healthy living.

Five types of programs are offered for children, families, communities and elders emphasizing healthy living and essential life skills development for kids; Families In Tune focuses on family strengthening; Community Spirit programs are about recreation and community strengthening, and Heart to Health programs are for elders to reduce social isolation and increase social recreation.

The benefits of music on children's learning and development of self-esteem are exemplified in UCLA brain scan research studies which indicate “that music more fully involves brain functions (both left and right hemispheres) than any other activities studied.” Given this linkage, Dr. Frank Wilson asserts that music is “an absolute necessity for the total development of the brain and the individual.”

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey CEO of Robert-Wood Johnson Foundation, asserts that there is an obesity epidemic among American children and that the best way to combat it is to "create environments that make it easy for children and their parents to eat well and be more active."

Arts funding, specifically music education, is shrinking. The California Arts Council recently reported an approximate 90% reduction in arts funding over a 4-year period (from more than $30 million to just over $3 million). The more than 30% of children in poverty in our target communities, who rely on the school system for arts education, are at an extreme disadvantage because evidence points to a correlation between active participation in music and academic success. For example, Neurological Research, in a 1999 study, found that understanding music rhythm helped kids perform 100% better in math fractions tests.

Rhythm Gym outcomes-based, group music making programs offer children access improvisational music-making applied to the development of healthy habits, communication skills and essential life skills.

Janet Marinaccio, MA Executive Director of the Project says, "While the programs are musical in nature, they are not really about learning musical competencies. They are about enhancing the lives of children and familes, and the communities they live in. Using music as the process vehicle, essential life skills can be learned in a fun, safe and supportive setting."

Kalani, Director of Education and Wellness Programs, author and music educator believes that using music and movement activities taps into the multiple intelliences of program participants allowing more fluid and comprehensive learning to take place.

For program information, contact Kalani at 818-832-2028. To schedule a program at your organization, contact Janet Marinaccio at 818-501-0840.