THE LITTLE KIDS ROCK STORY

Little Kids Rock has brought music education with a

twist of rock ‘n roll into the lives of over 82,000 chil-
dren in 20 cities across the country by donating guitars,
drum sets, keyboards, and basses to public schools,
holding free teacher workshops, and sending out count-
less educational materials to help cultivate a growing
generation of future musicians. It all started one day in
1996 when Dave Wish, a second grade San
Francisco Bay Area teacher by day and Jazz musician by night, watched a video about French gypsy guitar
legend Django Reinhardt. A folk hero and role model, Reinhardt inspired legions of gypsy children – who
did not attend school and had little else to do with their days – to emulate him by taking up guitar.

Wish was amazed at the skill these self-taught youngsters displayed and impressed with how the gypsy
kids found creative expression and discovered hidden talent once presented with the proper motivator. He
believed his students possessed their own untapped musical abilities, so he called some musician friends
to see if they had old beat-up instruments they could donate. Right there and then, an early incarnation of
Little Kids Rock was born.

Wish had seen firsthand the sorry state of music education in public schools. He had also heard from par-
ents and other teachers who were dismayed at the poor quality, if not complete absence, of music educa-
tion programs. On his first day teaching, he went to the principal’s office to ask when his class would have
music, gym and art periods, as these would offer times for him to do prep work. “The principal just gave
me a blank stare,” Wish recalls. “He told me they didn’t have those departments, and any teachers who
wanted to introduce the subjects to their classes would have to develop the curriculum themselves.”

The next year, the school hired a music teacher to come in once a week, but he only spent about 20 min-
utes with the kids, “singing songs like ‘Polly Wolly Doodle’.”

Wish’s class responded even to this limited program simply because children are naturally inclined to en-
gage with music. However, he knew this did not take advantage of their deeper interest in music and their
capacity to learn more sophisticated material. “They could sing every Backstreet Boys song by heart,” says
Wish. “The songs being taught in the classroom weren’t connecting on that level. I knew we were missing
something.”

Wish wanted to teach his kids the music they were already listening to and find a point of interest that
would keep them motivated. This would be more than supplemental music classes to give the kids some
variety during the school day. Little Kids Rock was founded on the idea that music is a necessary
component of the educational experience – something that contributes significantly to a child’s
healthy development.

www.littlekidsrock.org
 THE LITTLE KIDS ROCK STORY
(page 2 of 3)

“Music is a hugely unifying force. It brings

people together, especially during times of
strife,” explains Dave. “I personally get a rush
and a thrill to see people from different cul-
tures interacting around music.”

For children, music provides a creative outlet

they would not otherwise have. “I believe that once you put someone in touch with their creativity, the
cheap thrill of destructive behavior becomes less appealing. That’s just human nature. There’s no competi-
tion between reaching new heights of creative expression vs. breaking a window with a baseball or spray-
ing graffiti.”

For some kids, finding a musical voice is their ticket out of whatever tough circumstances they face. Music
becomes their refuge, a safe haven and escape from the difficulties of everyday life. Some Little Kids Rock
students, for example, find a way to channel the pain and confusion of a troubled home life into their own
original songs. Others benefit from being able to express the jumbled emotions that are part of growing up.
Some lose interest in negative influences or dangerous activities once they are hooked on the joy of playing
guitar.

“There’s a school of thought that says people should be measured in ‘multiple intelligences,” says Wish.
“We all excel in certain areas, lag in others and are average in most of them. Some people have a procliv-
ity for music – that’s their thing.” Without a program that identifies and nurtures that instinct from a young
age, kids may never know they have this gift and the rest of us might never get to share their talents. How
many musical geniuses have gone undiscovered because of the absence of music education in the nation’s
schools?

The joy of finding and drawing out these budding musicians is the greatest reward for Wish and the rest of
the Little Kids Rock teachers. “Being a Little Kids Rock teacher is like being a miner panning for gold,” he
remarks. “You’re tapping into something deep – especially when you get around to composing and impro-
vising – that’s the juicy stuff. It is a revelation. When a kid has his or her first guitar solo, they’re electri-
fied. They can’t believe it’s them. It’s like waking up and discovering you’re fluent in Mandarin. These
kids never knew they had it in them.”

Such an experience opens up new vistas of self-expression and new depths of self-awareness. Traditional
music education, in Wish’s opinion, takes a dry, didactic approach, which makes a subject that is inherently
interesting and exciting dull and boring. While budget cuts have forced many schools to eliminate
music programs altogether, those still running are often tedious and unappealing to young kids.

Indeed, Wish’s students found it “boring and stupid” to learn the old-fashioned, simplistic songs
that were in the curriculum for their grade level.

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 THE LITTLE KIDS ROCK STORY
(page 3 of 3)

“Kids today are exposed to lots of different media, and their taste can be very sophisticated,” Wish ex-
plains. “They also hear and pick up on what their older brothers and sisters are listening to. They become
interested in a variety of genres that aren’t represented in the school program.”

Little Kids Rock takes a common sense approach to music education by focusing on music that kids
already love. Wish describes his own experience with music as a school kid as “stereotypical.” He took
violin lessons but hated it – he was into the Beatles and Elvis Presley – so he quit. Years later, he looked
back on the squandered opportunity and wished he had stuck with it.

At 18, Wish took up the guitar. He learned from friends, books, and lessons with several instructors, each
of whom offered his/her own style of teaching and playing. “Those interactions informed the way I taught
once I got proficient enough at 20 or 21 and started giving lessons myself,” he says. “My teaching style
was a pastiche of all of the best influences I was exposed to during my own learning process.”

The pedagogical underpinnings of Little Kids Rock draw upon those same early teaching influences as
well as from accepted practices in the broader field of education. One current trend is to emphasize an or-
ganic way of learning, for example, teaching kids how to read by letting them read, instead of by discuss-
ing grammar and sentence structure. In the Little Kids Rock approach, students learn to play by playing.
“You learn through doing; it’s more motivational that way. It’s more inspirational to make music than to
learn about notes.”

Wish points to the famous and influential Suzuki Method of violin instruction, introduced by Shinichi Su-
zuki in the 1950’s, as a model for success. Suzuki believed that playing music was something that anyone
could do. He saw music as a universal language anyone could learn to “speak.” Wish’s recipe for Little
Kids Rock is “Suzuki meets the Rolling Stones meets Dr. Seuss all in a blender.”

The Little Kids Rock model works, too, because the teachers are all volunteers with a passion for music
they want to share with young people. They are doing it for love and not money. Their payment is the
unmatched pleasure of being able to interact with their students in a new and heartfelt way, using their
creativity to extract that of their pupils.

Like many arts programs, Little Kids Rock is currently relegated to after-school hours. Wish envisions a
time when it will become a focus nationwide, ultimately elevating the profile of music education and influ-
encing the way music is taught everywhere.

“When people hear the music these kids create, they are sincerely impressed with the product,”
Wish says. “My goal is that Little Kids Rock will stem the tide of budget cutbacks and help
reestablish music education in the schools, and that our approach will be widely adopted.”

ROCK ON!

www.littlekidsrock.org
 LITTLE KIDS ROCK OVERVIEW
How Did it Start?
Little Kids Rock began in 1996 when elementary school teacher Dave Wish grew frustrated with
the lack of music program funding at his school and started his own after-school music program.
Equipped only with a guitar and a passion for teaching kids to express themselves, Dave has since
helped grow Little Kids Rock into an organization with a national impact and focus that serves
thousands of students. Many music industry luminaries have rallied to support the organization.

How Does it Work?

Little Kids Rock provides free music classes and musical instruments to children in under-funded
public elementary schools. Trained volunteers use donated instruments to teach Little Kids Rock’s
innovative curriculum that focuses on popular music styles such as rock, funk, blues, rap, and
hip-hop. These mentors encourage the students to compose, perform and record their own music.
Some of these works can be heard on Little Kids Rock’s four CDs or on the website www.little-
kidsrock.org.

What is the Mission?

Little Kids Rock knows that music is a critical component of a first-rate education. We inspire
children to express themselves through music, building the creativity, confidence, and self-esteem
that are critical to success in school and beyond. We accomplish this by:

• Pioneering innovative teaching methods that are rooted in children’s

knowledge of popular music forms such as rock, rap, blues, hip-hop etc.

• Preparing practitioners such as teachers and youth workers to offer

classes utilizing our methods and materials.

• Providing free musical instruments and trained instructors to

children, especially to those children who do not receive music education.

What are the Benefits?

Confidence. Creativity. Passion. These are just some of the words used by Little Kids Rock stu-
dents and mentors to explain what the program provides them with. Study upon study has shown
that students who have access to arts and music education tend to perform better in school
than their peers who do not. Little Kids Rock teaches more than music – it teaches
students how to believe in themselves and to be successful in life.

“The Four R’s – ‘Readin’, ‘Ritin’, ‘Rithmatic, ROCK!”

www.littlekidsrock.org
 HISTORY AND MILESTONES
1996- Elementary school teacher David Wish begins offering a single, after-school guitar class
to children at a school that had no music program. David’s class was wildly popular and he be-
gan offering more classes. These tiny classes evolved into Little Kids Rock, a national nonprofit
restoring music education in schools around the country.

2002 - Little Kids Rock (LKR) established as a national nonprofit, with support from honorary
board members BB King and John Lee Hooker.

2003 – LKR expands its services to kids in TN. Bonnie Raitt, Tom Waits, Jason Newsted of
Metallica and other artists make guest appearances at LKR schools. LKR featured in Rolling
Stone, CNN Headline News, Billboard, AP and a host of other publications.

2004 – LKR expands its services by bringing its program into five different states.

2005 – LKR receives $300,000 grant from the Draper Richards Foundation. LKR launches in
two additional states now reaching 5,000 students in seven states. Steve Vai, Jesse McCartney,
Rick Springfield and other artists back LKR.

2006 – LKR launches on-line television station, www.littlekidsrock.tv to give free lessons to
students everywhere. Ziggy Marley, Brad Delson of Linkin Park and Joe Satriani appear on
www.litlekidsrock.tv and visit LKR students in their classrooms.

2007 – LKR now extends services to seven different states, reaching over 12,000 students. LKR
program and students featured on Nickelodeon, MTV, The Hallmark Channel and other nation-
al outlets. LKR is sole beneficiary of major benefit concert with support from Alice in Chains,
Dave Navarro and members of KISS, Linkin Park, Queensryche. LKR offers free, down-
loadable lessons through iTunes and supplies the #1 most downloaded video at iTunes U.

2008- LKR launches in three new states, served over 50,000 students and wins a prestigious
$375,000 grant from the Goldhirsh Foundation.

2009- Guitar legend Slash of Guns ‘N Roses fame visits LKR program and becomes an official
supporter.
To date the Little Kids Rock music program has:
• Served over 75,000 students in schools in NY, CA, IL,
TN, GA, PA, FLA, TX, NJ, LA and Washington DC
• Released several CDs of original student compositions
• Trained hundreds of teachers
• Recruited hundreds of volunteers
www.littlekidsrock.org
 COOL MUSIC EDUCATION FACTS
• A comprehensive series of skill tests run on 5,154 fifth-graders found that kids who
were learning to play a musical instrument received higher marks than their classmates
who were not. The longer the school children had been in the instrumental programs, the
higher they scored. (The American MusicConference)

• Regardless of socioeconomic background, music-making students get higher marks

in standardized tests than those who have no music involvement, according to a 10-year
study that tracked more than 25,000 students. The test scores studied were not only
standardized tests, such as the SAT, but also in reading proficiency exams. (Dr.James
Catterall, UCLA, 1997)

• The College Entrance Examination Board found that students involved in public
school music programs scored 107 points higher on the SATs than students with no
participation. (Profiles of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, com-
piled by the Music Educators National Conference- 2002)

• America’s nonprofit arts industry generates $134 billion in economic activity every
year, including $24.4 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenues. (Americans for the
Arts)

• Secondary students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest lifetime
and current use of all substances (alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs). (Texas Commission on
Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Houston Chronicle, January 11,1998)

www.littlekidsrock.org
 ALARMING MUSIC ED. FACTS
• State-level arts spending dropped from $409 million in fiscal year 2002 to $354.5 in
fiscal year 2003 and declined again to $272.4 million in 2004.
(National Assembly of State Arts Agencies )

• Nearly 75% of US States will cut school spending in the coming school year.
(“Budgets Cut Student Experience”, CNN, August 2003,
http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/08/13/sprj.sch.cuts/ )

• Today’s music teachers must focus much of their time and energy on seeking funding for music
programs – writing grants or coordinating fundraising events – diverting focus away from curricular
and professional development.
(Shaking the Money Tree: Fund-raising and Grants; MENC, Teaching Music, Feb. 2001)

• Between 1999 and 2004, a period when the total California public school student population
increased by 5.8%, the percentage of all California public school students involved in music educa-
tion courses declined by 50%. This decline is the largest of any academic subject area. The number
of music teachers declined by 26.7%. This represents an actual loss of 1,053 teachers. (The Sound
of Silence: The Unprecedented Decline of Music Education in California Public Schools, Music for All
Foundation utilizing data from California Department of Education)

• Nearly 20% of all US public schools fail to offer ANY music or arts classes – not even one day a
week. In schools that do offer music classes, not all students participate. There are often as little as
25% of students taking part in music and arts classes in school.
(http://www.vh1.com/partners/save_the_music/text/research/NAEP.doc)

• “Noting that some areas of the nation already give students insufficient experience in the disci-
pline of music education, the Music Education Coalition predicts that the current round of budget
cuts will lead to curtailment of programs depriving as many as 30 million students (more than
60% of those enrolled in K-12) of an education that includes music.” (“Largest Initiative Support-
ing School Music Launched in Response to School Budget Cuts Expected in 2003”, NAMM, March 2003
http://www.namm.com/pressroom/pressreleases/2003Mar12.html)

• Cuts to music programs greatly affect elementary school students, as music classes for beginners
are often seen to compete with core curricular classes and are directly targeted for elimination. As
a result of cuts to elementary school music programs, junior and senior high school music program
enrollment have, and will continue to fall dramatically.
(Defending Music Programs with Econmic Analysis”, Dr. John Benham, British Columbia Music Coali-
tion, Dec. 2002, http://www.bcmusiccoalition.org/resources/defendmusprogreconanaly.html)

www.littlekidsrock.org
 QUOTES ABOUT US
“Since I was a little girl I wanted to play something. Not sports. I
wanted to play music.”
-Raquel, Nine-year old LKR Student

“Little Kids Rock does a great job getting kids excited about mu-
sic, picking up the slack from budgets cuts to music programs in
our schools. They deserve our support!”
-Bonnie Raitt, Honorary Board Member, Grammy winner

“...Little Kids Rock will impact in the lives of children in a mean-

ingful way for many years to come and can create a replicable
approach to effective music education in our urban schools.”
-Norman Atkins, Co-Founder North Star Academy Charter
School in Newark, New Jersey

“Little Kids Rock has provided us a major vehicle. The changes in

my students these past few years in this regard have been amazing.”
-Val Haskell, Special Education Teacher
The Lawton School San Francisco, California

“I think that what Little Kids Rock does is just amazing. I’d like to
see this program in a lot more schools. Young kids playing instru-
ments, composing their own music and recording their own songs?
That is something I just have to get behind.”
-B.B. King, Legendary blues artist, Honorary Board Member

“Little Kids Rock brings cool water to the desert. Unfortunately, a

desert is what arts education in the schools has become.”
-Tom Waits, musician, actor, composer

“We believe that Little Kids Rock just may be the hippest, most
forward-thinking model for turning kids onto music that we’ve
ever seen.”
-The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation

“There are several for-profit programs that give lessons in rock

music…But Little Kids Rock’s national scope and non-profit
status make it unique.”
-Time Magazine

www.littlekidsrock.org
 LITTLE KIDS ROCK HAS
SOME BIG FANS
As music programs across the country are being eliminated, it’s nice to know that Little Kids
have big friends. The following individuals are all helping us put music back where it be-
longs... in our schools! We are thankful and proud to have the support of ....
Bonnie Raitt

Slash

Jason Newsted (Metallica)

Bob Weir (Grateful Dead)

Bonnie Raitt
BB King Paul Simon

BB King

Ziggy Marley

Brad Delson (Linkin Park)

Jason Newsted
Tom Waits Bob Weir

Steve Vai

Joe Satriani

Les Paul

Rick Springfield
Paul Simon
Steve Vai
Liberty DeVitto (Billy Joel)

Dave Mason (Traffic)

Carmine Appice (Rod Stewart)

Will Lee (The David Letterman Band)

Liberty DeVitt Tom Waits
o Joe Lynn Turner (Deep Purple, Rainbow)
and others…
www.littlekidsrock.org
 OUR FOUNDER’S BIO
Dave Wish’s work as a second-grade public school teacher took an unusual turn in 1996
when he grew frustrated with the lack of music program funding at his school. Equipped
with only his guitar and a passion for teaching kids, Dave started his own after-school mu-
sic program and began offering free lessons to his students.

What began in 1996 as an informal project led by Dave and a handful of volunteers has
catapulted into a nationally recognized non-profit organization that has served thousands
of students.With the support of Honorary Board Members Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, BB
King, Les Paul, Jason Newsted and a host of celebrated friends in the music industry, Little
Kids Rock is poised to significantly extend its reach in the United States.

Dave graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Sociology with a minor in Women’s
Studies from Brandeis University. He worked as an elementary school teacher for 10 years.
After his volunteer music classes began to take off, he left the classroom to dedicate his
time fully to Little Kids Rock and helping foster future musicians.

In the fourth grade he took violin lessons, but they were playing tunes like ‘Hot Cross
Buns’ and ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’, which lead to an early retirement from the violin.
Thankfuly, he picked up the guitar during high school. Dave’s love of music makes him
what he calls, “...a compulsive guitar player and music teacher.” He is a fan of jazz and is
of the firm belief that Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong and Django Rheinhardt were “some
of the greatest geniuses of the 20th century”. He also has a taste for the Clash, the Beatles
and a guitar player named Jimi Hendrix.

Dave Wish emcees a “rock” recital with his original guitar class

www.littlekidsrock.org
 LETTER FROM A PARENT
As always, I’m delighted to say something
about my daughters. My dear children have
helped me cope with the pain after leaving
my war-torn Bosnia. Their laughter and joy
have helped me pull through the difficulties
and adjustments. In this letter, I will speak
about my younger daughter Alma who is
eight years old, and how Little Kids Rock
has changed her life.

Raising Alma in the United States has been a

challenge for me. The urban, cosmopolitan
city of San Francisco has offered a lot, but
before I was able to see its good side, I
needed to learn to live in this new place. Alma is an energetic and playful child, and like a little
monkey has tremendous endurance for fun. I often asked myself: Will this child ever rest? To
satisfy her urges for play, I would take her to the neighborhood park where she would prance
around the balance beam, swing on the tire-swings and slide the steepest slides. Unfortunately,
Alma was not satisfied; something was missing in this wild play, a sense of fulfillment, a sense
of true satisfaction. I learned later that her games at the park were only an escape from our small
apartment and Nickelodeon.

Then something happened. Something that parents usually tell other parents who have kids with
potential but no place to use it. Alma came home with a guitar. She held it as if it were made
of glass. Drops of sweat trickled down her face out of fear of breaking it and out of excitement
for having the honor to hold this new instrument. She spoke with great enthusiasm about all the
things that one can do with a guitar. She spoke of great musicians such as Carlos Santana, and
assured me that soon she would be able to play like he does.

I did not know that Alma would give so much of her passion to this guitar and this program.
Alma was driven from the very first day, and I could not believe it. That same day, Alma called
her best friend Aphiffany and the girls chattered as usual, only this time I did not hear the same,
repetitive giggling as I did in the past. My Alma looked serious. There was a tone of ‘you-
won’t-believe-what-happened-to-me’ in her voice. Alma was happy and so
was I. Alma’s friends were now the kids from guitar class, kids who shared the
same interest as her. Mr. Wish, Alma’s guitar teacher, was establishing a new com-
munity for these kids, a new home away from home for my daughter. Alma’s days
after school were now spent differently. Alma spent many hours with Mr. Wish and

www.littlekidsrock.org
 LETTER FROM A PARENT
(PAGE 2)
other Little Kids Rocksters learning the basics. Watching her play the guitar, her little fingers
looked like they were in pain, but her face radiated determination, faith and love. I now under-
stand that those little fingers never suffered, but only found a creative outlet she could not find in
the local park. Listening to my daughter play gives me such joy. My fears seem to fade away, and
sometimes tears of joy run down my face.

I realized that Alma, unlike my older daughter and myself, was given a gift. Maja (my other
daughter) and I are listeners to music. We were the outsiders who were stunned with awe upon
hearing a beautiful piece. Alma had something more; she was given the opportunity to be inside
the music. This wonderful opportunity was given to her by a Little Kids Rock class. There the
children are pushed towards what was once unattainable in my eyes. I remember the day when I
observed Alma and her fellow students perform “De Colores” at a school recital. This time, Alma
played the guitar and the music sang for her. I suddenly realized; it is only through music that we
can see all the colors of the world.

I would like to see Little Kids Rock share its beautiful program with many children and give them
the opportunity it has given my daughter. Mr. Wish, the teacher who started Little Kids Rock, the
teacher with such a spirited soul, deserves all the support that is available to spread the music to
other children.

Sincerely,

Azmira Ruznic
Alma’s Mom

San Francisco,
California

www.littlekidsrock.org
 LETTER FROM A TEACHER
As a public school teacher, it is honestly my
privilege to work with David Wish and his Little
Kids Rock organization. It is not often that one
teacher has an idea that turns into such a success-
ful project that he remains committed to sharing
it with as many of his colleagues as he possibly
can. It is also not often that such a project when
duplicated by other teachers, continues to be noth-
ing but successful across a broad range of student
grade levels, abilities, and cultural backgrounds.

The key to the success of Little Kids Rock at my school can be directly attributed to Dave’s devel-
opment of a teacher training package, and provisions for a network of ongoing support. A two day
summer workshop brought together a cadre of teachers, who left his training so inspired that we
all signed on as guitar mentors, starting LKR classes at our own schools. We were given not just a
methodology, but the rationale behind it.

We were given not just a curriculum, but rather a foundation to build, create upon, and share. We
were given not just instruments for our kids, but also tuners, reference materials to duplicate, and
forms that simplified paperwork rather that exacerbated it. We were also offered access to CD
recording for our students’ work. Visiting artists perform for our classes. Ben Meisel of “Kid N
Together” performed at Lawton in November, and the students are still talking about it.

Perhaps most importantly, a network was established. A local teacher coordinator visits classes.
Mentors are connected via e-mail, and LKR established a Yahoo Group site to facilitate the sharing
of ideas. The weekly digest provides us all with updates from the organization, and Dave remains
readily accessible via e-mail and telephone.

In conclusion, helping students build self-esteem and creative expression have always presented
great challenges to educators. Little Kids Rock has provided us a major vehicle. The changes in
my students these past few months in this regard have been amazing. I am just so very glad that I
went to that workshop; it has made for a wonderful year not just for the students, but for me too.

Sincerely,
Val Haskell,

Teacher
Lawton School, San Francisco

www.littlekidsrock.org