Thursday, December 5, 2013

1…2…3…Blast Off!


David Billingsley, BSOMA Executive Director sharing his passion for underserved youth & the arts.
"The game needs to be changed." 

We had an AMAZING launch party. Not only did we raise the public's awareness about the lack of arts access for underserved youth, but we also sold merchandise, garnered volunteer support and even raised over $2,350.00 to help us open the school in October of 2014. 

Thank you to everyone who came out to help us celebrate the launch of such an important arts organization in the Twin Cities. The cause was so critical and important that even US Senator Al Franken has endorsed us. 



Watch Al Franken's address to the attendees of the BSOMA Launch Party Here:


    What an amazing endorsement by US Senator Al Franken. 


Launch Party Photo Recap
Standing room only electric, eclectic and joyful crowd of BSOMA supporters enjoying the evening. 




Marie Chante, incredibly gifted spoken word artist. "Our babies will live and not die."
Improv Theater interpreting Marie Chante's arts access freestyle poem. 
Arthur "L.A." Buckner sharing his personal arts access story. A teacher discouraged L.A from pursuing the arts at a very young age. Yet he stayed the course and is finishing his bachelor's degree at McNally Smith College of Music.
Nate Kay, Dancer, 15 year old who's life was changed at the launch. This was his very 1st professional performance opportunity. Not only did he do a set, he performed impromptu with Robert Robinson and a live band.
Robert Robinson doing what he does best, wowing and inspiring the audience with his amazing gift and vocal ability.
Kenneth Caldwell, Artist interpreting the night through visual art.
Kenneth Caldwell's finished original BSOMA work. This piece was auctioned off  at the end of the night.


Pete Rhodes, Master of Ceremonies, BSOMA Board Member and CEO of BMA Network on Comcast kept us laughing and entertained all night.


Thank you so much for being so faithful to our blog. To date we have had over 5,000 visits.  
Stay tuned as we'll be releasing video footage from the launch and sharing some more new developments. 

DONATE TODAY
Even if you didn't make it to the launch party you can still make a financial contribution this holiday season.  


Happy Holidays!

Love,
The BSOMA Team

Friday, November 8, 2013

Television Debut This Sunday!


SOUND THE ALARM!

We make our television debut this Sunday morning at 9:30am on the CW Network
The show is called, "Our Issues Twin Cities." Please tune in and spread the word to everyone you can. It's amazing how fast the message of BSOMA is spreading to the general public. Major announcements and exciting developments will be announced at the Launch Party and thereafter. So stay tuned.



HOW YOU CAN HELP RIGHT NOW
We've created a needs list for our school. Look it over, share it with others. And let's discover how big our impact can be together. It will be amazing to see how many people we can get to help contribute to our cause. 
See you Sunday morning!



LOVE,

The BSOMA Team
http://bsoma.org

Thursday, October 17, 2013

An Uproar...

I feel the ground subtly rumbling and shaking beneath my feet...

I'm slowly witnessing the quiet but resilient uproar of an entire city for more arts access for underserved youth. Family, friends, and even strangers are coming together from far and near to take a stand. This night is going to be so special. A ton of arts access people in a room together talking about the issues and creating real-time solutions. I can't wait!


The revolution will not be televised, but it's definitely happening at the BSOMA Launch Party!



Note: Space is limited so you must RSVP to David@bsoma.org as soon as possible.

UPDATES
Here are some updates on where we've been and what we've accomplished.



We make our television debut on Sunday, November 10th @ 9:30am on the CW Network. We are being featured on a show called Our Issues Twin Cities.

Monday, September 30, 2013

Giant Steps

Full steam ahead!

We're going stronger now than we ever have before. Major meetings and trips are scheduled. Key team members have been identified. Events are planned for the next three months, officially kicking off our Arts Access Tour. So many amazing things are happening! 

The community is truly rising up in full support of high-quality arts learning opportunities for underserved youth. 

Stay close. Very soon we'll be releasing the details about the BSOMA Launch Party. Our Arts Access Tour information is also forthcoming. You will be able to finally physically get involved! 

Love,
The BSOMA Team

http://bsoma.org 

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Are We Doing Enough?

The simple answer is no. For decades generations of young dancers, actors, musicians, and artists have gone completely undiscovered and undeveloped. 

Here in the Twin Cities alone we are sitting on a gold mine of untapped talent and artistic ability in our youth. Imagine all of the amazing Beethoven's, Stevie Wonder's, Picasso's, Van Gogh's, Shakespeare's, Tyler Perry's and Pavlova's that could come from our communities. 

Think about how life changing and transformational a high quality arts program would be for a child. 

Goosebumps...

We can never do enough for our kids. They are our future. 

Join the movement. Enroll. Volunteer. Donate. 

Love, 
The BSOMA Team
Look at all of the raw talents around us. Our kids desperately want for someone to recognize their gifts and seriously care for and develop them. This is our future, we must tend to it. 

Monday, August 19, 2013

A Dream



I can truly say I've experienced a complete transformation since the journey of BSOMA started. In October of 2012 I finally decided to spread my wings and try to fly. I traded my promising teaching career in for a big, dark, empty room filled with question marks. It was scary. I knew what was in my heart, but I just wasn't sure how to make that a tangible reality.

I've dreamed of having this place where kids like me could come and receive a top-notch arts education. A place they could go that is safe and that silences the tough realities they face everyday.

Here are just a couple of those realities:
   Many children are growing up without fathers or positive male role models. 
   Hearing gun shots ring out over the neighborhood is normal.      

I saw way too many doors locked and closed in the faces of my peers. It was finally time to do something about what I had experienced since age 6 and still see today!

So here's my story...
All I had was a dream.
I quit my day job.
Created a business plan.
Pursued business advice and mentorship.
Read and studied daily.
Supported myself solely on my musical artistry.
Questioned and doubted myself a lot.
Lost 2 family members to illness.
I was told there was "no money out there" by the receptionist at my mentorship office.
I often felt like the dream was too big or too difficult to achieve.
Money and resources started to deplete.
Yet I persevered and kept moving forward.
Built the BSOMA infrastructure.
Came into it with a lot of thoughts and expectations.
Every expectation looked and felt completely different in the end.
I had to find a job and had 0% interest in re-entering the workforce.
All I wanted to do was BSOMA all day, everyday.
Received two job offers quickly.
One of them being MacPhail Center for Music (basically the Juilliard of music schools in the Twin Cities).
Worked over North all summer and learned a ton about the problems facing our youth.
Also trained and studied at MacPhail over the summer preparing to teach early childhood music, group piano, community partnerships, and potentially even some gospel piano!
Lost over 35 lbs.
Also receiving personal counseling to make sure I'm mentally and emotionally prepared for whats to come.
Website, posters, brochures, videos, partnerships, meetings, federal & state paperwork...
All of this in 10 months time.
My expectations have been exceeded and we're continuing on this path forever.

There's no other way I'd want it. Hard work, perseverance, and flexibility are truly paying off.







Friday, June 21, 2013

BSOMA News Update


Here's our latest:




  • UW Eau Claire featured our article & website
  • Over 20 Volunteers have signed up
  • Promo Campaign begins July 1st
  • We've sold a lot of BSOMA merchandise.
  • Mr. B will be featured this fall in The View, UW Eau Claire's Alumni Magazine 
  • We're currently going after our top 10 grant opportunities

Love,
The BSOMA Team

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Robert Robinson & BSOMA

Join our e-mailing list today to download your free copy of an exclusive recording by Robert Robinson for BSOMA supporters.

You can take a listen here: https://soundcloud.com/bsoma/someone-worth-dying-for

In order to own this song and play it wherever you want, you must signup for our emailing list and then you'll be directed to the free mp3 download.

Enjoy!

The BSOMA Team



Friday, May 31, 2013

BSOMA Photos


























1st BSOMA Article

We are proud to announce the release of our very 1st BSOMA article written by Harry Colbert Jr. of Insight News.

Click HERE for the article.

Thanks for visiting our blog!

Love,
The BSOMA Team

Friday, May 24, 2013

The BSOMA Vision - Official Video


Learn more about our mission and vision.

Piano Improvisation by Yanni Davis

Yanni is a talented and budding young musician. I began teaching Yanni a year after he lost his older brother to gun violence. I've continued to mentor him ever since and we are currently working on finding him a good college to attend after his upcoming senior year. Yanni really looked up to his brother and now honors him by writing original compositions in his memory. Playing music from his heart has been whats helped him deal with his pain and loss. 

Learn More About David


Take a closer look at Mr. Billingsley's background, teaching style, and passion for the arts and young people.



Visit Our Website!

www.bsoma.org

Please visit our brand new website! We are so excited for the journey ahead. Stay close and check back often.

Love,
The BSOMA Team

P.S. Access Changes Lives

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Like & Follow Us...

Have you liked us on Facebook & followed us on Twitter? 

Click on the images below to get connected!

BSOMA FB Page



Monday, April 1, 2013

Where are the kids that look like me?

When I was four years old my parents received a progress report from my teacher saying, "David absolutely loves music, singing and playing instruments in class." I believe this teacher observation combined with my parents' selfless and relentless pursuit to allow me to follow my dreams is what made me the professional musician I am today. 

My life is music. I make a living making music. All of my career dreams have come true. 

That wasn't the reality for my friends. 

I participated in arts competitions all throughout my childhood, placing and receiving top honors at arts festivals, local, state, and national competitions. But every time I left those events I was stuck asking the question,"Where are my friends I go to school with everyday? 

Where are the students that look like me? 

I faced a harsh reality at a very young age. Those students that looked like me didn't exist in my world view. From childhood all the way through to my masters program, I have always been the only student of color. It wasn't until qualifying for the NAACP National Act-So Competition that I realized that there were kids across the U.S that looked and participated in the arts just like me. 

But why did I have to go to a national competition to find this information out? Let's start with the problem, and then our solution to the arts epidemic facing underserved youth.

The Problem
A child’s life is at risk everyday. A student’s request for arts instruction is often ignored. Parents can't afford the monthly cost of lessons. Schools struggle to meet state arts mandates. Affordable arts opportunities are rare. Entire band and orchestra programs are being cut. School districts are reducing arts instructional time drastically. 

In 2011, a 17 year old MN teenager was gunned down while riding his bike.

The Answer

Listen to the community and prioritize their most urgent needs. The need is simple, affordable arts access. We take it a step further by providing completely free arts instruction. We take the long-term view and commit to innovative solutions that drive true change. We think big, start small and take responsible steps to benefit the greatest number of arts students and families.

If an underserved youth can't afford outside lessons and doesn't receive their arts instruction during school hours, where will they receive it? Oh yeah! That's right! The Billingsley School of Music & Arts, Inc. Click on the link above and like our FaceBook page!


Youth Involvement
I have been asked by my colleagues why students of color aren't involved in the arts in middle school, high school and college. Until we step in and become the change that we want to see, we won't make much progress. This is the essence and very reason why BSOMA is desperately needed. 

Temporary Immunity
Eventually I grew immune to my reality and put the racial and economic issues regarding arts access behind me; that proved to be a feat far too difficult to ignore. I could not stomach the fact that generations of kids like me would go without access and opportunities in the arts. 

No way I'd be the person and musician I am today if it wasn't for teachers and mentors that helped me throughout my career. Underserved youths' dreams often go unrealized and they don't know that they can make a living or financially support themselves doing what they truly love.


Male mentorship is one of the most powerful things we can do to change our communities.
How much longer will we continue to ignore the facts? Its time to bring about real change! 

What facts you might ask?
  • There has been a 49% decrease in arts instruction for underserved youth since 1982.
  • 72% of MN Elementary schools don't provide all four required arts disciplines.
  • Only 37% of underserved youth graduate from high school.  
There is a lot of work that needs to be done. But, starting with one story and one student at a time, we can change the world through arts education. My next blog post will be about the positive effects of quality arts education for underserved youth. Together we'll discover a new reality and learn about the benefits for the community, families and students that BSOMA serves.

Stay tuned! Check back often! There are MANY exciting things on the way!