Budget cuts have left music education virtually absent from New Mexico's public schools. Fortunately, local non-profits have been working imaginatively for years to offer effective musical experiences for young people. This summer, for example, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival continues its series of concerts for kids and families. The Festival's Youth Concerts take place on four consecutive Mondays at 10am starting on July 15 at the New Mexico Museum of Art.
The funding for these no-charge concerts comes from the Festival itself, says Artistic Director Marc Neikrug. A non-profit is "in the business of losing money. We get a certain amount of money in, but we need to lose all of it by the time our fiscal year is over, and we lose the money in the best possible way for the community. And it needs to be in the form of arts education, that's so lacking."
In this longer version of the interview, Marc Neikrug talks about how the summer Youth Concerts fit into the Festival's year-round education and outreach programs.
