https://www.facebook.com/128543010499278/

Santa Monica-Malibu Arts Ed Advocacy Team

Home
United States
Santa Monica, CA
Santa Monica-Malibu Arts Ed Advocacy Team

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Santa Monica-Malibu Arts Ed Advocacy Team, Nonprofit Organization, Santa Monica, CA.

10/27/2026

10/13/2026

Remembering how we did ensemble music during Covid...

10/04/2026

couple of years ago, in a column about Father Greg Boyle, I noted that he is quite particular and even a bit preachy about the right way to eat a steak.

10/03/2026

09/23/2026

To the band director who wonders if any of this is actually making a difference…

It is.

Even if they never become a professional musician.

Even if the instrument ends up in a closet after graduation.

Even if they never play another concert after they leave your room.

Because what you are teaching was never just music.

You are teaching them how to keep going when they get frustrated.

How to listen when someone else has the melody.

How to practice something over and over until what once felt impossible becomes possible.

How to show up when they are tired.

How to fail in front of people, take a breath, and try again.

How to be part of something bigger than themselves.

Years from now, they may forget the name of the piece you spent months rehearsing.

They may forget the fingerings.

They may forget the scales.

They may even forget the score from that one festival you thought meant everything.

But they will remember how it felt to finally get it right.

They will remember the first time someone believed they could do something they were convinced they could not.

They will remember the bus rides.

The laughter.

The nerves before walking onstage.

The friends who became family.

And somewhere in the middle of all of that…

you planted seeds.

Maybe one becomes a musician.

Maybe one becomes a teacher.

Maybe one becomes a doctor, a parent, an entrepreneur, a mechanic, a nurse, a leader.

And one day, life will put something difficult in front of them.

They will want to quit.

And without even realizing where they learned it, they will take a breath, start again, and KEEP ON GOING.

That is music education.

Not just creating better musicians.

Creating stronger humans.

So band director, on the days when the room is loud, the rehearsals are rough, and you wonder whether they are listening…

Keep planting.

Some of the seeds you sow today will not bloom until long after they leave your classroom.

But they will bloom.

And that is why what you do matters.

09/16/2026

This is worth rewatching if you saw if before. Still a congent analysis. Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.

Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.

09/16/2026

This is National Arts in Education Week

09/08/2026

09/07/2026

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and answers regarding Proposition 28—The Arts and Music in Schools (AMS) Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act.

06/18/2026

The four members played together in orchestras and bands throughout their SMMUSD years before reuniting after college and forming the band in 2019. The name itself is a direct reference to the group's shared history.

"The whole reason why our band is called This Whole Time is because we've been friends together the whole time," Tomita said. "We've been a part of each other's lives the entire time."

"I wouldn't have made these friends, I wouldn't have met my bandmates, had it not been for the SMMUSD music program," he said. "Having forged these lifelong friendships — that's priceless to me."

Tomita also connected the band's story to a broader conversation about arts funding in the district. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified has faced scrutiny over arts program funding in recent months. Tamita said he hopes This Whole Time offers one example of what sustained arts investment can produce.

"I'm not going to say that our band is going to be, 'Oh, like, this is the reason why you should keep arts alive,'" he said. "But I think this is one small example of the broader story — look what music within the schools can mean. It can mean lifelong friendships. It can mean continuing the journey of seeing art as a passion."

Santa Monica band This Whole Time performs Saturday at Summer SOULstice on Main Street with their new debut album. The funk-soul-rock quartet formed through SMMUSD music program.

Address

Santa Monica, CA

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Santa Monica-Malibu Arts Ed Advocacy Team posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.