WHAT:
“Helping your students become lifelong musicians” is a proposed 35 minute presentation to 3rd-8th graders (target audience) that covers “How I became a musician as a classroom teacher and how YOU can live YOUR DREAMS”: with a few song performances, great visuals, connections to THEIR educations, lots of action and, here’s the best part, breaking into focus groups (1-2 hours, revolving) afterwards to allow the students to actually handle percussion pieces or try to strum a guitar among a wide variety of activities. This project is based upon the music of Coupon Kev and The Thrifters and the debut album “Stormy Weather and Smiles”. This project is multi-faceted and is extremely ambitious but also realistic, very necessary and viable.
WHY:
The MAIN GOAL is to bring music to students from a different perspective with the WHY and HOW math and writing are essential skills as so to are having courage to take chances, having the resiliency to make mistakes and keep trying, and to have the self-confidence to simply try things.
The MAIN GOAL is to motivate and inspire students to become life-long students of music leading to public performance. As music classes are being cut or phased out of many schools, it is up to the music community to ensure the generations to come have the opportunities to experience the power of music and especially in performance.
A recent July 2019 Psychology Today Magazine article “Music Participation is Linked to Teens’ Academic Achievement” clearly suggests, based upon evidence, that learning a musical instrument, especially in elementary school, will help teens outperform their non-music peers, in regard to English, Math and Science related skills:
WHO:
Coupon Kev will be the main producer, artist and CEO/facilitator of this project. CK is also the creative energy behind the band Coupon Kev and The Thrifters and the debut album “Stormy Weather and Smiles” which is an original 9-song portrayal of the effects of weather and a smile on one’s emotions. Coupon Kev’s music is a mix between Peter Gabriel meets Arrested Development transfused with America (the band).
-“Stormy Weather and Smiles” is available on all major streaming platforms and the album can be purchased via CDBaby.com. This album was entirely self-funded by CK and recorded and produced with F5 SoundHouse in Minneapolis, MN in 2019.
https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/couponkevandthethrifters
Coupon Kev and The Thrifters are getting a lot of radio play in the US and Canada currently and are charting on the NACC music charts.
Coupon Kev is a certified teacher working in the Denver Metro region preparing to launch this nationwide educational endeavor.
WHERE:
Nation-wide at public, charter, private schools and any other institute passionate about helping people become life-long performers of musical instruments.
WHEN:
Preparing for full launch nationwide in September, 2020.
HOW:
A 35 minute introduction presentation to 3rd-8th graders (target audience) that covers “How I became a musician as a classroom teacher and how YOU can live YOUR DREAMS”: with a few songs performances, great visuals, real connections to THEIR educations, lots of action and, here’s the best part, breaking into focus groups afterwards to allow the students to actually handle percussion pieces or try to strum a guitar among many other activities. (2-3 hours in total)
SYNOPSIS OF PROGRAM: My journey as an elementary school teacher accomplishing a HUGE goal like completing an album and performing world-wide around the 3 things that helped me in this journey: 1)Having the ear, knowledge, and understanding that music imitates nature and certain instruments can portray animals or sounds (the coconuts, bells, clarinets, for example) and how ANYONE can access those skills ; 2) Math-how music is basically patterns, operations and groupings (triplets, counting time, adding/subracting, etc.) and how ANYONE can access math skills; 3) How I wrote “Inside the Cave” from a T-Chart, an elementary school graphic organizer for writing, working on the fundamentals of writing an essay with my 5th graders and how ANYONE can be a good writer!
MORE SPECIFICS about how and where the donations would be used:
-An upgrade in personal DAW audio system to help deliver all school programs.
a. Mastered Track Stems of 9 songs of Coupon Kev and The Thrifter’s “Stormy Weather” to use in the delivery of the School Presentation
-Investment in many instruments wholesale (rhythm sticks, acoustic guitars, xylophones, etc..) to use for delivery of School Presentations with the ultimate goal of offering schools the opportunity to receive instruments as a gift to continue the goals of creating lifelong musicians.
a. Also hope to offer items as rewards for students showing exceptional interest through participation (Guitar and strings, for example).
-Investment in PA System elements (microphones, stands, protective equipment) for a traveling show that is powerful, portable, and professional.
-Investment in videography equipment and software to maximize both pictures and video media to create music videos associate with “Stormy Weather and Smiles” that can be used as advertisements to offer to schools to hear the quality, messsage and professionalism of Coupon Kev and The Thrifters.
-The filming, production, editing, mixing of videos for “Inside of Cave” and “Smile at Me”
-Merchandising: T-shirts, Notepads, Pencils, Music folders, etc. to be used as marketing tools and rewards for student participation
-Pre-production for the 9-song follow-up to “Stormy Weather and Smiles” of “Corundumb” (hoping to author and illustrate a book-series associated with the school performance.)
-Licensing and all associated application fees. Liability insurance coverage.
-In the event that donations exceed the goal, all extra funds will be used to acquire transportation (a van with trailer) to deliver school performances nation-wide.
Quick NOTE: Coupon Kev will continue towards these goals individually but all the support and help is greatly appreciated and I’d like to become your friend!
-The biggest obstacle and challenge is truly finding the funds to make these ideas go. As a public school teacher by training and practice, the compensation does not allow for endless venturing into creative and musical endeavors as honestly, the pay is low. I’ve self-funded “Stormy Weather and Smiles” and will continue to pursue this project alone if necessary as I believe in this idea! As a professional musician, it is very challenging meeting other musicians who are on the same page ability-wise, who have the same motivations and those who are reliable. I’ve found that if I want something done, I have to do it myself which is exhausting but very real. I WILL DO MOST OF THE WORK MYSELF but to potentially have partners musically and financially, I can’t express the relief it would be to have a reliable set of people in my life (besides the people I pay). -Deadlines and Goals are commonplace and I don’t see anything getting in the way of having exceptional planning leading to exceptional results. a. The goals I set are realistic, step-by-step with contingency time/actions built in. b. Life does happen, everyday, but keeping in contact via Social Media keeps things closer to home (say hello anytime to see how things are going)! Thank you!