Brian Kelley Visits Franklin High School In Partnership With The CMA Foundation’s State Of The Arts Initiative And Music Has Value

COUNTRY STAR BRIAN KELLEY VISITS FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CMA FOUNDATION’S STATE OF THE ARTS INITIATIVE AND MUSIC HAS VALUE

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In partnership with the CMA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association, and Scott and Sandi Borchetta’s Music Has Value, Diamond-selling Country Music superstar Brian Kelley visited music students and teachers at Franklin High School in Franklin, TN on Wednesday, Oct. 18 in support of furthering music and arts education across the country.

During the visit, Kelley joined the CMA Foundation to highlight the impact and power of music through music education with a Q&A session where he discussed his songwriting process, his journey in the music industry as well as advice around starting a career in Country Music. Kelley was also treated to four performances by Franklin High School students, including a performance by Skylar DeCuir of an excerpt from “DELECLUSIASTICS for solo snare,” a trio of orchestra students, Ty Henry, Ethan Hill and Clara Zaccari performing an original song written by Hill, a performance by singer/songwriter Madison Johnson of her original song, “Summer Nights,” and a performance by Lukas Varden of an excerpt from “Messager’s Solo de Concours.”

Additionally, thanks to Scott and Sandi Borchetta’s Music Has Value fund, which supports those who make music, aspire to make music, and access and appreciate music, Franklin High School was gifted new instruments as part of a $120,000 pledge to benefit music education programs in middle Tennessee public school districts in partnership with the CMA Foundation’s State of the Arts initiative.

“My high school music teacher greatly impacted my life, and to be able to visit these talented students at Franklin High School and see them perform was truly an honor,” shares Kelley. “I will forever believe music is healing and brings people together. Seeing the CMA Foundation and Music Has Value give the gift of music to these young musicians and support them in further chasing their dreams was an unforgettable experience.”

Initially developed in 2018, the CMA Foundation’s Tennessee: State of the Arts initiative is a first-of-its-kind statewide arts education landscape analysis. Through a public-private partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education and Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, the CMA Foundation provides no-cost needs assessments to all Tennessee public school district’s arts program. The CMA Foundation’s goal with State of the Arts is to develop an understanding of the criteria necessary for establishing equitable arts education programs and to discover barriers affecting the quality of arts education programming. Now, currently nearing the end of the analysis phase, the CMA Foundation has gathered and examined the information collected throughout the study and is uncovering concrete data to support its tentpole objectives. Most notably, the State of the Arts research has reiterated the tangible benefits that students enrolled in visual and performing arts experience as opposed to their peers not enrolled in visual and performing arts.

About the CMA Foundation

Established in 2011 as the philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association (CMA), the CMA Foundation is committed to improving and sustaining high-quality music education programs across the United States, working to ensure every child has the opportunity to participate in music. Through strategic partnerships, professional development and grant distribution, the CMA Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), invests various resources across the national public school system, after school programs, summer camps and community outreach organizations.

About Music Has Value
Music Has Value was created in 2015 by Big Machine Label Group Chairman & CEO Scott Borchetta alongside wife, Sandi Spika Borchetta, BMLG Creative EVP. Providing funds to organizations that support those who make music, aspire to make music, and access and appreciate music, the fund targets K-12 schools needing instruments and resources, with an emphasis on rural areas that are often overlooked. Administered by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Music Has Value aims to enrich lives both young and old, with a portion of their funding also directed to support music therapy programs for seniors and those battling Alzheimer’s. For more information, visit musichasvalue.com.

About Brian Kelley:
With the anthemic delivery of his current single, “See You Next Summer,” and the acoustic version, plus homegrown “Dirt Cheap,” Diamond-selling superstar Brian Kelley enters the next chapter of a record-breaking, history-making career. In the studio working on his full-length debut album with Big Machine Records, he first made waves with his passion project Sunshine State of Mind in 2021 (which American Songwriter called “some of the best modern country put to tape.”) With a sold-out run of shows and back-to-back residencies at Tribe Kelley Surf Post in Grayton Beach, FL – owned by the Ormond Beach native and his wife Brittney – Kelley continues to diversify his thriving enterprise with collaborations including cult-favorite brand Tribe Kelley with Brittney and a partnership with Oyster City Brewing Company. Kelley is managed by Kevin Spellman and Jason Murray of Vector Management. First known as the Florida half of the GRAMMY-nominated Florida Georgia Line, the ACM Breakout Artist of the Decade Award recipients garnered 19 career No. 1s and became the first and only act to achieve two RIAA Diamond singles in Country Music history (14x Platinum No. 1s: “Cruise” and “Meant to Be” with Bebe Rexha). Surpassing 17 billion global streams, selling more than 40 million tracks and 4.8 million albums worldwide, plus playing to over four million fans, FGL has been honored by AMA, Billboard, CMA, and CMT Music Awards, as well as having a Florida Georgia Line: Mix It Up Strong exhibit at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

For more information about the CMA Foundation, visit CMAFoundation.org. For more information about Music Has Value, visit musichasvalue.com.