Hello Friends of Parlando,   

Albert Einstein once said, "I get most joy in life out of music."  If you've ever walked down the Parlando hallways at 4:00 in the afternoon on any given school day, you understand what he meant.  Music is a powerful influence in our lives and the lives of our children.  I hope you will join my family and me in supporting the potential of our children by making a charitable donation to Parlando before December 31st.

Every week we help between 600 and 700 students pursue their musical talents and passions.  Additionally, since 2007, Parlando has allocated more than $200,000 to help between 100 and 150 students every year through tuition assistance.  We have had tuition assistance recipients win competitions, participate and excel in school bands and orchestras and go on to pursue music at the collegiate level. One tuition assistance recipient even went on to land a starring role in the national tour of a musical. 

When people ask me what Parlando is and what it's about, these are the things I think of.  Parlando is about the opportunity to be involved in music and the life skills, character development, perseverance and self-confidence it teaches and reinforces.  And, when a student needs it, Parlando is about providing access to that opportunity through tuition assistance.

It takes donations of all sizes to make an impact in the lives of the children of our community and every donation makes an impact.  With $2,500 we can guarantee that at least 6 tuition assistance students will receive private lessons for a year.  That's more than 240 piano, voice, violin or cello lessons.  $250 will make sure that at least one student will get lessons for an entire semester.  $500 makes sure their sibling can too. 

Between now and December 31st the Wolf Family Foundation, Ida Fund of the Community Foundation Serving Boulder County and the Bright Mountain Foundation have agreed to match every new dollar we raise up to $15,000.  This means that every dollar we receive from a new donor will be matched dollar for dollar.  Donations from previous donors will be matched dollar for dollar above and beyond that donor's 2011 donation until we reach $15,000 in new giving.

Parlando is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and we accept donations via cash, check, credit card and transfers of stock.  You can mail, call, stop by or click here to make your donation:

http://parlando.org/support-donate.html 

Thank you for joining us today in saying that we are committed to providing opportunity and access to all members of our community so that they too can get "joy in life out of music."