VH1 Save The Music: The Soul of San Diego

More than great weather and picturesque beaches, the foundation of San Diego’s laid-back vibe has to be the thriving music scene. For decades, major hit-makers, regional success stories and local guitar heroes have created a musical community unique in the world. The San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau is supporting their efforts. To preserve the future of San Diego’s music scene, the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau in partnership with the Manchester Grand Hyatt and Sally’s Seafood on the Water is proud to sponsor the Save the Music Foundation. This year, two San Diego schools, John J. Montgomery Middle School and O’Farrell Community School will receive a donation to sustain music education in the classroom.

WHERE LOCAL MUSIC STARTS

"Kids who already have enough problems outside of school - these are the students who need a reason to get up in the morning. Sometimes school is the only constant in their lives. And a quality music and arts education program can be one of those ëhooksí that gets kids just to show up."

Tony Sandoval, Call Down Fire
“As public, middle school teachers we realize the importance of schools offering a diverse curriculum and a variety of extracurricular opportunities (music and arts) to get kids excited about coming to school. We struggle every day to reach out to children on the edge, kids who already have enough problems outside of school - these are the students who need a reason to get up in the morning. Sometimes school is the only constant in their lives. And a quality music and arts education program can be one of those ‘hooks’ that gets kids just to show up.”

Colleen D’Agostino, theMATERIAL
“Taking music classes in school was an outlet for all of us during our difficult teenage years; it gave me the self-confidence I needed to find my love for singing, and helped our guitarist and our drummer get through their parents’ divorces. These classes inspired us to learn to play an instrument and how to express our feelings through music. The schooling we received helped us learn how to write songs in different ways, share our emotions through lyrics, explore different genres, and for Jon and I who went to college for music, it exposed us to a variety of music that we might otherwise never have heard or appreciated.”

Jonathan Coyle, bill
“When I was young I struggled in school. I was even told that I had a learning disability. The only subject I really seemed to understand was music. If it wasn't for music education there may have been a point where I thought I was stupid or incapable of being a good student. I just thought ‘at least I'm good at something,’ and because of this it actually helped me believe in my own potential. There are probably many others just like me who struggle at certain things and excel in others, and it would be a shame for them to not have the opportunity to discover their potential strengths.”

SAN DIEGO SPONSORS

As proud sponsors of Vh1’s Save the Music Foundation, The Manchester Grand Hyatt and Sally’s Seafood on the Water recognize the importance of music in the lives of the children of San Diego.

GROOVE MENTORS
COLLEEN D'AGOSTINO
theMATERIAL

"Music enhances child development by teaching children important skills such as spatial reasoning, self-confidence, creativity, and self-expression. Aside from being the lead singer in our band theMATERIAL, I teach music and movement classes in preschools around San Diego, as well as voice lessons. After seeing my students grow up to be confident, talented, and extremely gifted, I am able to witness firsthand how skills learned through music will benefit a student in many other areas of his or her life."

JONATHAN COYLE
bill

"Five days a week I'm out there working one-on-one with students teaching piano, drums and guitar. Iíve even organized a band of eleven-year-olds who are rehearsing for their first upcoming gig."

FEEL THE SAN DIEGO BEAT

San Diego music combines rough and smooth, rowdy and refined, loud and soft. That was the concept behind San Diego Soundscape, a double CD (amplified and unplugged) featuring 22 original songs by 20 San Diego indie artists/bands. The San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau packaged and released the CD to promote the thriving local music community.

To discover more about San Diego’s music scene and to listen to San Diego Soundscape, visit www.sandiego.org/music. While you’re there, enter to win a rock and roll trip to San Diego.