Tim Hazell sent a message to Daymond John that said:
Dear Daymond John,
I hope this email finds you well. I am the Vice-President and Director of Education Outreach for San Miguel el Grande Pro Musica, A.C., based in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. The San Miguel Community Foundation a 501(c)-3 NGO, represents my music outreach programs and also donates charitable funds for the benefit of our non-profit Mexican organizations.
I am asking for your financial support to be able to continue to provide life-changing music education and career opportunities to resource-compromised schools and communities. Since 2007, I have been in charge of four outreach programs; Rhythm, Rhyme and Reason (RR&R), The Cinco de Mayo Academy of Music, Childrenâs Orchestra and the Youth Chamber Orchestra, all registered with Pro Musica.
These initiatives impact on hundreds of children, adolescents, university and conservatory music students and young career professionals.
My programs have reached out to over 800 children in rural areas close to San Miguel who attend RR&R classes that teach music basics and social interactive skills to everyone, regardless of talent.
At the next level, selected adolescents who attend my Academy of Music study classical theory and techniques on instruments provided for them. The Childrenâs Orchestra has been formed out of the Academy student body and performs regularly at municipal events.
Finally, my 50-member Youth Chamber Orchestra involves top university students and young professionals from all over the state and Mexico. All programs are interactive and allow students who wish to move up to the next level of music education to do so.
About the orchestra: Composed of musicians from university and conservatory faculties of music and top young professionals from leading ensembles, this is a fabulous group of aspiring concert artists!
The quality of their performances of full-score selections from Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Sibelius, Holst and Brahms has not gone unnoticed, having captured the imagination of visiting members from the Chicago and Portland symphony orchestras and touring Canadian ensembles.
I would be happy to provide additional information and statistics, as well as letters of recommendation from granting organizations, project developers and philanthropists such as Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Dr. Mary Elmendorf.
My initiatives require cooperation between Mexican paid staff, local ex-pat and Mexican residents; successful, truly bi-cultural team efforts with years of proven results in the field.
Please note: I have been able to maintain all four programs at a cost of approximately $20,000 per year, including stipends for all Youth Chamber Orchestra members, due to Mexicoâs lower operating expenses. However, I envision doubling our Academy in size, inviting students from other schools in the region to participate and hiring two more certified professors for larger strings, winds and brass sessions.
The Childrenâs orchestra could use basics such as music stands, sheet music, CDs and additional student-quality instruments. Our Youth Chamber Orchestra would benefit from better promotion and a more intensive concert schedule, including a budget for free recitals in outlying communities where cultural events are few.
At present, my resources do not stretch far enough. Iâm concerned about further cutbacks and the pandemic has significantly reduced my limited funds.
My previous grants and awards include the San Miguel Community Foundation, University of Leon feature speaker, Texas Writersâ Conference Keynote speaker, Schreiner University Liberal Artist and Writer in Residence, the John Anson Kittredge Educational Fund, National Endowment for the Arts and the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto.
I believe that now as never before, people will require the healing energy that great masterworks provide.
Part of my job is to seek solutions to problems that could be detrimental to the career development of these talented - in some cases brilliantly gifted - aspiring concert artists.
My programs are 100% Mexican, setting an example for young people who have a vision of a better future through the universal language of world and classical music.
I intend to give all of my energy and commitment to music education outreach this year and hope that you will consider my inquiry. I admire and respect the tremendous difference you and your Shark Tank colleagues are making to the lives of young entrepreneurs.
I consider you to be a fellow artist and visionary and would be proud to have your name and patronage associated with this enterprise.
To close, I invite you to watch a two-minute YouTube video compilation of a February Gala fundraiser by my Youth Chamber Orchestra at:
Brief descriptions of my programs with accompanying photographs can also be found on the Education Outreach Annual Report page of my Pro Musica website at:
http://www.promusicasma.org/
Please stay healthy and creative. Thank you for your time and interest,
Tim Hazell
Vice-President
Director of Education
Pro Musica
