PHOENIX — Experiencing live music for the first time can be a magical moment and a group of elementary school kids from the Valley recently got just that opportunity.
Dozens of second graders from Sheely Farms Elementary School in Phoenix were treated to a free concert, thanks to The Nash Jazz Club in downtown Phoenix.
They boarded a bus in Tolleson and drove 12 miles to the venue. The kids never stopped bobbing their heads to the beat.
The field trip wasn't without planning and the aid of the local nonprofit Act One.
Beth Maloney is the executive director for Act One. She is also a former teacher and understands the profound impact studying and experiencing the arts can have on all students.
"As the children we're telling us, they love music and they don't have music in their school right now and that just breaks my heart," Maloney said. "We are a statewide nonprofit that provides field trips to students all over the state from Title I schools."
Maloney shared just how special this field trip can be for kids who have never been to a concert. She said exposure at a young age can spark a genuine interest in the arts.
"I want them to feel inspired and see this could be a career path for them someday whether or not they’re on stage or someone like me who facilitates the arts," Maloney added.
A 2015 study from the National Endowment for the Arts unveiled that even access to events like concerts at The Nash improves physical, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development for kids.
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