“Connecting Kids
With Music”
OXNARD MUSIC ADVOCACY GROUP
What is OMAG?.......
The Oxnard Music Advocacy Group
(OMAG)
was formed in 2011
and is comprised of
educators, musicians and parents
aware of the benefits of
music and arts
as a part of the education of children.
FOUNDERS/STEERING COMMITTEE
Dr. Gene Cooper*
Founding Principal & Lead Planner of the International English Immersion
School in Ota, Japan; Former Navy R&D Engineer and Program
Manager
Larry Boeing
Former OSD Classroom & Music Teacher; Musician
Cynthia Garcia Doane*
Mike Doty *
OSD ELD Program Specialist; 1998 CABE CA Bilingual Teacher of the Year,
National Board Certified Teacher
Former Hueneme HS Music Director; Musician; Choir Director,
Gary Engels
Former Channel Islands HS Music Director; Musician
Janelle Fanslow
Cherie Moraga*
Former OSD Teacher; Language Arts Mentor, BTSA Support Provider,
Musician and Singer
Former OSD Bilingual Teacher; Co-Author: 2008 Silver Burdett Making
Music with the Arts Program, Musician
Ernie Morrison
Educator, Former OSD Principal, OSD Administrator of the Year for
Innovation,, Association of California School Administrators (ACSA),
present OSD Board Member
Marilynne Parker
Former OSD Teacher; Tri-County Math Project Leader, UCSB Equity in
Science Project , Song Leader
Daisy Tatum
Former principal in the Oxnard Union High School District.
* Ventura County Harmony Project
OMAG’s mission…
…is to assist the Oxnard School District to:
create, plan, and implement programs of
high-quality music instruction
for all students in the district.
OMAG applies its experience, expertise, and
energy to the objective of
enhancing the musical, academic,
and social/behavioral benefits of music.
OMAG/OSDEF
OMAG is a sub-committee
of the
Oxnard School District
Education Foundation
(OSDEF)
that manages OMAG’s tax
deductible donations
OSDEF is a 501(c)(3)
non-profit organization.
Ways OMAG can
assist the
Oxnard School
District
Create an ongoing city-wide conversation
of how to bring quality music resources
to Oxnard students through presentations
and surveys of teacher & community
opinion.
Help correlate the State music
standards to our
broad based academic goals.
Compare and evaluate exemplary
affordable teaching materials and
musical instruments
.
Foster communication between OSD
and local musical organizations to
program musical assemblies
Dollars per student/year
Explore ways to increase
student participation in a
cost-effective manner
Help coordinate musical activities throughout
the Oxnard School District to provide
performance opportunities to all students.
OMAG Reps.
OMAG currently has been meeting
with various school staff
who have volunteered
to serve as liaisons between
OMAG and their school sites.
OMAG Reps:
• Meet once a month for 1 hour
• Take activities and information back to your
school site and share
• Bring back ideas and needs from their school
• Are committed for a minimum of one full
school year, hopefully more! 
Current OMAG Reps are:
SCHOOL
OMAG School Representatives
Brekke
Lydia Cruz-Machlitt
Annie Sullivan
Margie Llanes
David Llanes
Alejo Perez
Rose Gonzalez
Raluca Razus
Ariel Alexander
Diana Ontiveros
Teresa Ramos
Mirna Castro
Fernando Hernandez
Jim Hendrickson
Deborah Sims
Cindy Thorsen
Jennifer Braun
Laurie Preston
Suzanne Fries
Marti Barrett
Kimberley Rock
Dori Riggs
Martha Highfill
Chavez
Curren
Driffill
Elm
Harrington
Kamala
Lemonwood
Marina West
Marshall
McAulliffe
McKinna
Tiffany Cannon
Ramona
Pablo Ordaz Eduardo Hermosillo Christy Hudson
Mary Macias
Al Macias
Ritchen
Rose
Sierra Linda
Soria
Terri Sheridan
Christina Salas (Librarian)
Leslie Taylor
Cassie Murphy
Michelle H-Padron Cheryl Kewley Kathy Russell
Frank
Fremont
Dr. Dori Jones
Haydock
Susan Ekwall
OMAG Wishes to Provide the
Schools of Oxnard with:
Resources for Students*Student performance opportunities
*Information on local live music performances
*Opportunities to participate in instrumental music
Resources for Teachers*Classroom music materials (reading songs lyrics & music notation, music
appreciation, traditional line and circle dances)
*Information on CA State Standards alignment music and content standards
Resources for School Sites*Access to music resouces in the community
*Music program planning assistance
*Music grant writing assistance
A Key Goal…
…is to provide every elementary classroom and
intermediate school with basic music
instruction and instruments to serve as a
foundation for building a quality music
program at every school.
Background: Did you know…?
Anecdotal evidence abounds
that music study develops
non-musical traits
beneficial in life
and…
Background: Did you know…?
(continued)
…that the pedagogy and materials in music
programs help develop English proficiency.
Background: Did you know…?
(continued)
There is overwhelming statistical evidence that,
on average, students who study music
at an early age demonstrate
higher academic achievement.
Learning music in school …
… in four important categories:
»_ Success in society
»_ Success in school and learning
»_ Success in developing intelligence
»_ Success in life
The study of music helps students achieve
Success in Society
• Secondary students who
participated in band or
orchestra reported the
lowest lifetime and
current use of all
substances (alcohol,
tobacco, illicit drugs).
* Texas Commission on
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Report.
• Reported in Houston
Chronicle, January 1998
Success in Society
(continued)
Involvement in the arts is one avenue by which
at-risk youth can acquire the various
competencies necessary to become
economically self-sufficient over the long
term, rather than becoming a financial strain
on their states and communities.
*The Impact of Arts Education on Workforce Preparation, The
National Governors Association, May 2002
The study of music helps students achieve
Success in School and Learning
• Students of music
continue to outperform
their non-arts peers on
the SAT, according to
reports by the College
Entrance Examination
Board.
* The College Board, Profile of
College-Boundm Seniors
National Report for 2006
The study of music helps students achieve
Success in School and Learning
Students in high-quality school music
programs score higher on standardized
tests compared to students in schools
with deficient music education programs,
regardless of the socio-economic level of
the school or school district.
* Christopher M. Johnson and Jenny E. Memmott, Journal of
Research in Music Education, 2006
The study of music helps students achieve
Success in Developing Intelligence
Children with music training
had significantly better verbal
memory
than those without such training,
and the longer the training, the
better the verbal memory.
Students who continued training
and beginners who had just
started learning to play both
showed
improvement in verbal learning and
retention.
*Summary of paper by Ho, Y. C., Cheung, M.
C., & Chan, in Neuropsychology, 2003
The study of music helps students achieve
Success in Life
•
“Music is one way for
young people to connect
with themselves, but it is
also a bridge for connecting
with others.
• Through music, we can
introduce children to the
richness and diversity of
the human family and to
the myriad rhythms of life.”
*— Daniel A. Carp, Eastman Kodak
Company Chairman and CEO.
You can be a musician too! Just follow this
solfege and ring your bell at the right time.
DO DO SOL SOL
11
5
5
LA LA SOL
66 5
FA FA MI MI
44 3 3
RE RE DO
22 1
SOL SOL FA FA
5 5 4 4
MI MI RE
33 2
SOL SOL FA FA
5 5 4 4
MI MI RE
3 3 2
Repeat top 4 lines
“Music, is a valued part of culture,
and a birthright of
every child.”*
*National Association of Music Education
“Every student in the nation should
have an education in
the arts.” *
*from “The Value and Quality of Arts Education..”
Ways Parents and Community
Members Can Help
• Be an outspoken advocate for establishing an in-school
music program for OSD.
• Update Informational OMAG Boards at school sites
• Attend OMAG workshops
(April 15, May 13, and June 3,
Mondays, 3:30-4:30, PTC portable, OSD)
• Join our Music Van team to take out to primary schools
• Promote free or low cost tickets for local music concerts
• Participate in music program fund-raising events
•
SOKM (Save Our Kids Music)
• Check out www.sokm.net to see the music
program a group of parent volunteers in
neighboring Camarillo initiated 22 years ago.
Today the Youth Arts Academy offers low
cost classes every afternoon (Monday –
Friday) in band and orchestral instruments.
They also have added dance, theatre, and art
classes.
And here in Oxnard…..
`
Musical Choral Performances
at Every Grade Level
What one parent volunteer has
brought to Juan Soria School demonstrates the
positive influence one parent can make at their
child’s school. We are looking for more parents
like Cheryl at Soria who believe music and the
performing arts do belong in every child’s life.
“Connecting Kids With Music”
Visit our website: www.oxnardmusic.org
Contact us at: info@oxnardmusic.org
(805) 231-8523