At the corps of the issue
In my experience and opinion American music schools and conservatories have generally abdicated the responsibility to prepare their students for the realities of the society in which they will work.
Enter Kiff Gallagher, a businessman and sometime musician who was involved in the creation of AmeriCorps. His new project, MusicianCorps, emulates its predecessor in providing recent graduates of music degree programs with pay and health coverage in exchange for teaching and immersion in underserved and low-resource schools and communities. In what is hopefully a harbinger of things to come Gallagher has the attention of the Obama team [who are openly interested in service-based programs], private sector companies like HP, and the Aspen Institute. If you are involved in music in this country he should have yours too. Read his thoughts on the program and visit the MusicianCorps website.
