MusicBreeds

Hello, my name is Isaiah Grigg.  I founded MusicBreeds  in 2014 as a solution to a problem I myself experienced .  I remember being an ambitious young student with high hopes of achievement.  I also remember being disappointed when my Mother didn't even remember I played an instrument.  Not because she neglected me.  But because she was two busy working three jobs.  I also remember being so angry at her for making me feel like my desire for my craft wasn't worth her attention.  As I grew older, matured and had children of my own, I found out that her inability to provide this support wasn't for her lack of desire.  But lack of opportunity and lack of time.

Growing up in an emotionally abusive home where my Father told me I'd be nothing every chance he got... Sitting in an elementary school where the teacher referred to me as "monkey," or the several occasions my skin color dictated the progression of my desires, all turned to fuel for me.  And also what led me to want to give back so much. 

As an adult the fire that drove me was not wanting to live a life of mediocrity.  I was able to attend Northeastern University to study Economics. Won several Div I track & Field championships, worked in "Corporate America," released four solo albums which charted internationally and domestically, I have toured internationally and domestically as well.  I also served my country from 2007-2015 in the US Navy and am currently a 15year Detective with the NYPD.

My point is I've seen the ups and downs and the ins and outs from many angles.  MusicBreeds is structured to be inclusive to all genres, types, colors, races, sexes and denominations.  Why?  Because that's all I know. 

STARTING OVER

The Brookings Institute brings together over 300 experts who do high quality research. They have been doing this research since 1916.  The Institute usually focuses on the effectiveness of strategies, programs, or approaches. In 2022 they were motivated to say more. “It has become increasing clear that American education has failed most students that it is attempting to serve. It is not working in the traditional classroom model or in the digital delivery model. It has never worked for high need students and families. The past two years have further highlighted the weaknesses and inequalities of the system that cannot be patched over with new programs or technologies. Millions of students have stopped coming to school. Teachers are not reaching them. How do we start over?”

 

MusicBreeds has begun been piecing together a plan to start over.  There are three educational underpinnings at the core: (1) Give students something -- let’s start with music -- to be passionate about; (2) Schools need a new front door; and (3) Let’ try to understand what it will take to have ALL students succeed and focus the work of teachers exclusively on the elements of student success.  The plan has five parts.

 

1.     THE IDEA.  MusicBreeds is working with educational leaders to create a new entry-point for students.  We are calling these new entry points -- MBPlaces. Think of it as adding an “addition” to a house or building or maybe just a new (and probably bigger) front door.  The new entry-point will be a dynamic and motivating “place” where “student-centered” personalized learning will be the norm. We will begin by connecting with the passions of young people for music.  Students will create, collaborate, and re-connect.  Current students, missing students and students who have left education a while back will all be welcome. An MBPlace could be a school build during afterschool and evening hours.  Maybe a community center or organization.  It will be the new “front door” of American education. It will become a place where schools can recruit back students into transformed and relevant learning environments.  To make sure schools become welcoming places -- we are in discussions with the Ford Foundation to address systemic issues of inequity and inequality in all schools.

 

2.     THE PROTOTYPE. We will begin in New York City.  It is where our home is, and a current crisis point in American Education.  MusicBreeds is in discussion with the New York City Department of Education to create twenty (20) MBPlaces across the boroughs.  There are at least 200,000 New York City public school students who are “missing” from their schools.  The Mayor of New York City and the Chancellor of the school system have stated that the system is “failing at least 65% of the students in attendance.” That’s around 800,000 students. We will be working closely with teachers and school leaders to create a meaningful transition for students.  Involving N.Y.C. Teachers Centers is in discussion.

 

3.     SCALE. The scaling of a great idea often begins at the beginning.  The U.S. Department of Education invited MusicBreeds to apply for a by invitation only piece of funding that would share the idea with other school systems.  The “national initiative” has begun with positive conversations with the leaders of school systems in Chicago and Albuquerque.  They will be part of the U.S. Department of Education funding that we are submitting.  In a letter to Secretary Cardona, MusicBreeds has suggested that the U.S. Department of Education support the establishment of 2500 MBPlaces across the country.  We are in the process of setting a meeting with the Secretary. We have also shared the idea with the American Federation of Teachers -- and we will be meeting with the President of the AFT.

 

4. REAL BEST PRACTICES. MBHOUSES will model student engagement and learning approaches that will need to be part of whatever transformed education model reaches America’s schools.  We are working with Bloomberg Philanthropies to evaluate and build innovative tactics toward revitalizing community engagement and educational buy-in.  We are working with the Ford Foundation to create a dedicated, talented, and well- resourced DEI team that will bring the right expertise to lead DEI Initiatives, position Diversity and Inclusion as an institution-wide priority, serve as a communication vehicle across the organization, help the senior management work on the right tone of internal messaging to ensure that it is inclusive for all, and put action behind DEI goals, including the authority to hold everyone accountable. Leadership will include a Director of E&I, Deputy Director, Training Officer, and a Research Director. Each regional facility would have: an EEO Liaison for intake of complaints and grievances; record keeping of confidential cases; updates, data entry, tracking and archiving of final dispositions in collaboration with Human Resources; and internal, organization-wide State, and Federal reporting; as well as an Administration Team and posters; and signs for compliance related procedures.

 

5.  WILL IT WORK? MusicBreeds has submitted a grant to the Institute of Educational Sciences that will initiative “gold standard” evaluation and research to determine: (1) How effective is the MBHouse model in re-connecting and engaging students? (2) Does the MBHouse model work as an effective “transition” to formal learning environments? (3) Does the MBHouse model “replicate” across geographies, types of schools -- and potentially -- content focus areas beyond music?

 

MusicBreeds has done the work to create an architecture of short-term and long-term sustainability.  The project has a rigorous multi-prong program and funding design. Discussions and document production are underway to realize:

 

·       A multi-million dollar contract with the New York City Department of Education.

·       A multi-million dollar  U.S. Department of Education grant to begin the “scaling” process.

·       A sizable grant from the Ford Foundation focused on equity and equality.

·       A sizable grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to focus on community engagement.

·       An investment by the U.S. Department of Education to create the project’s national network.

·       Numerous key individual and corporate committee asks.

 

 

MusicBreeds requests a $1M  to provide the sustainable foundation to the program and funding efforts delineated.  We request a $200,000 advance on that investment.  We request the ability to approach investment partner of $3-5million in March 2024.