Support Kansas City Music Education
Why Support Music Education?
Most people inherently understand that there is something special and important about music, something they can’t quite explain. It moves the soul in a way nothing else really does.
When you give to BAM, kids get to play!
Through music we can help Kansas City youth thrive!
Have a Question?
Using Talents for Teaching Music
Inspiring The Next Generation
In early August, Clint Velazquez had just pulled in front of his home when he saw an incoming call from Warner Music Group. Velazquez is the founder and executive director of Base Academy of Music (BAM), a non-profit that provides sliding-scale private lessons to Kansas City’s urban core.
When he answered, Velazquez said the Warner Music Group representative didn’t give Velasquez much context, but asked him to share more about the organization. At the end of the call, she informed Velasquez that she was a part of Ed Sheeran’s team. “Ed Sheeran had seen us, knew who we were and thought what we did was pretty cool and they wanted to do something for us,” Velazquez says.
Three days later, just days before Sheeran’s Kansas City performance at Arrowhead Stadium, Velazquez received a second call. Sheeran offered all students, teachers––and their plus ones––tickets to the upcoming show. And Ed Sheeran wanted to record the news to let the BAM fam know personally. Sheeran’s video announced another exciting surprise: he would be donating five of his signature acoustic-electric guitars to BAM.
“It was a mad scramble to organize all of our students in the middle of summer to be able to go to the show,” Velazquez says. “Everything we do is one-on-one, so having the opportunity to have a musical experience with our student body was really special to see.” “Your songs are the best thing I’ve really ever heard,” said student Jenny Haluck.
Your Impact
We have and are building a community that gets kids off the streets, makes them feel heard, and connects the discipline, learning, and habits of practice and performance to their future in getting through school, going to college, and succeeding to bring the power of music to all of their life.
We have taught thousands of students over tens of thousands of hours and built a community. That is not just about music; it is about using music as a pathway to reach one's potential in life.
We bring teachers whose purpose is to bring access to students, to share themselves, to make a world of possibility real for students who may not find that at home, school, or wherever they spend their time.
Join us in helping children reach their potential by reducing the barriers to 1:1 teaching, creating a safe space to practice, and being a part of the most passionate supporters around who get to tell the kids of Kansas City
"We see you, we hear you, and you can do amazing things."
