Barry Manilow's Manilow Music Project Will Give Away $170,000 For Local High School Bands

Barry Manilow announced a music teacher contest as part of his Last, Last Tour. In each city, one lucky winner will be selected to receive a $10,000 grant from the Manilow Music Project.

Up to ten high schools in each tour city submit the names of their favorite music teachers and then vote to select the winner.  The winning high school receives $5000 in new band instruments for their high school band and the winning teacher receives another $5000 to be spent as they direct.

Voting is open to everyone and announced in each city via Facebook.  No purchase is necessary in order to vote.

The cities on the current schedule are: St. Louis, MO; Indianapolis, IN; Chicago, IL; Green Bay, WI; Omaha, NE; Des Moines, IA; St. Paul, MN; Milwaukee, WI; San Antonio, TX; Sugarland, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; Austin, TX; Corpus Christi, TX; Ft. Worth, TX; Tulsa, OK; Springfield, MO; Kansas City, MO. 

Manilow launched the Manilow Music Project in response to a friend’s request for a saxophone for his high school daughter. Manilow was surprised to discover that most public schools had suffered considerable budget cuts in their school music programs and that high school music teachers were taking part time jobs just to raise the money to buy new drum sticks or a used trumpet so kids could play in the band. With no staff and all volunteers from the community and Manilow’s management company, the Manilow Music Project has gifted more than $10 million in instruments and scholarships to primarily high school music students throughout the United States.

Details on the Manilow Music Project are online at manilowmusicproject.org