Worsham is also participating in season two of the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s Words & Music at Home.
With the school year starting back up again, the philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association, the CMA Foundation, is kicking off a busy season of supporting equitable music education initiatives across the U.S. with the announcement of Charlie Worsham as the non-profit's newest Artist Ambassador.
"Charlie has been committed to helping students get excited about and stay involved with music for as long as I've known him," says Tiffany Kerns, CMA Foundation Executive Director. "From his 'Donuts & Jam' fan club parties during CMA Fest benefitting the Quest Center for Art & Community Development to his Follow Your Heart Arts Program and Scholarship, Charlie is hugely passionate for this cause. I know his involvement will help us further our mission to serve even more students and educators." "From the Mississippi Delta to the halls of power in our nation's capital, I've been proud to work alongside the CMA Foundation to advocate for music education," says Worsham. "It is critical that we offer the next generation a chance to discover themselves through the power of music." As a CMA Foundation Artist Ambassador, Worsham will participate in a virtual panel that will be shared with Tennessee Music Education Association (TNMEA) membership later this month. Joined by his mother, Sherry Worsham, and TNMEA Advocacy/Government Relations Chair, Christopher K. Dye, the group discusses the life-changing impact of music on young people, specifically in rural communities. Sherry and Charlie have witnessed this positive impact first-hand following their 2016 launch of the Follow Your Heart Arts Program, a music education and advocacy program located in rural Mississippi available to elementary and high school students free of charge.Since its inception in 2011, the CMA Foundation has been committed to improving and sustaining music programs throughout the U.S. so all students have equitable opportunities to participate in a high-quality music education. The CMA Foundation believes music and the arts are part of a well-rounded education, investing $27 million to support these efforts over the last 10 years. During this time, the CMA Foundation has observed why music programs are not thriving, seeing first-hand the challenges educators are facing and, most importantly, the systemic issues that must be addressed in order for every child to have access to music. Committed to its vision, the CMA Foundation is working directly with school districts to identify needs, understand their challenges, build community support and develop local and national resources from partners as part of the non-profit's systems change model.
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