High Street Jazz Band campaigns for art education

Each weekend, residents can hear the harmonic sounds of the High Street Jazz Band as it roams the town after dark.

Creating a sound track for the bumbling masses as they stumble home after a night at the clubs, the High Street Jazz Band provides a noble service that has garnered fans and attention at the University.

Today, along with Brian Roberts and his Leadership 201 group, the band will be giving back to more than the nocturnal student.

As Roberts, sophomore mathematics major, sat in class contemplating how to aid the arts, his service leadership group came up with a brilliant battle plan.

"We were brainstorming things to do, and people to help, and arts education jumped out at us," Roberts said. "We just wanted a way to get people informed and involved – you don't have to be a music major to appreciate the value of art education."

They immediately contacted the High Street Jazz Band and set to getting their support.

"They said they'd be happy to help us out," Roberts said. "They mostly perform on the street, so they seemed like a perfect fit for this kind of thing."

Steve Sabino, junior business and economics major and trumpet player for the High Street Jazz Band, was adamant about the cause of music-education.

The arts benefit not only the local community, but people throughout the country and beyond, he said.

"The High Street Jazz Band is very much rooted in the belief that music and the arts can make the world a better place," Sabino said. "We want as many people exposed to different kinds of music and give them the chance to be exposed to the arts whether in the classroom or on the streets while playing."

The statistics behind arts in education are no joke.

According to Americans for the Arts, young people who remain active in the arts are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, four times more likely to participate in a math and science fair, and three times more likely to win an award for school attendance.

Yet, even with the proven benefits of the arts, some teachers are still forced to pay out-of-pocket for supplies for their classes.

"It's no secret that arts programs are among the first to get budget cuts, as opposed to athletic or other academic programs," Roberts said. "If people showed more interest, that doesn't always have to be the case."

With the High Street Jazz Band's performance, Roberts' Leadership 201 group hopes to raise both awareness and money to donate to the arts program at Morgantown High School.

"We really just want to get the word out so that people can think about it, and try to get enough

donations to make a difference in the local community," Roberts said.

Catch the High Street Jazz Band and support arts education tonight at 7 p.m. in front of the Mountainlair.

For more information on the band and it's new CD, visit the High Street Jazz Band's Facebook page.