Reading, Writing, and Rhythm®

Help Us Help Them.
Reading, Writing, and Rhythm® is a nonprofit organization started by country music artist Chely Wright that is dedicated to improving the quality of music education in America's public schools. Our aim is to raise public awareness about the importance of music education for our nation's youth.Why Music Education?
It's a fact:

Music education improves things such as SAT scores, school attendance, the ability to work in teams, self-esteem, self-discipline, early cognitive development, creativity, spatial reasoning skills, basic math and reading skills and the knowledge of other cultures and history. Scientific studies have proven that music participation builds brainpower in children by enhancing vital intellectual skills. As a result, music participation increases a child's ability to learn basic math and reading. Students who participate in music programs score significantly higher on standardized tests while at the same time developing crucial skills to be successful in life. Students involved in music are also less likely to be involved in gangs, drugs, or alcohol abuse and have better attendance in school. Most importantly though, students enjoy it!
What We Do:
Our goal is to help public school music departments by providing them with musical instruments and equipment. And also to heighten public awareness on the national and local levels of the importance of music education in children's education. Each year in June, Chely Wright hosts a benefit concert to raise money for Reading, Writing & Rhythm®, this year raising over $126,000 in cash donations, as well as the value of thousands of dollars in donated instruments and services!
Introduction / About Chely Wright:
While Americans watched and endured the devastation of the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado on April 20, 1999, country music artist Chely Wright saw something more.
“My initial thought was…those kids who did the shooting were fairly certain their lives were going to end that day, either by their hand or someone else's. It occurred to me, these children had no sense of acceptance or belonging. There was no ballgame, no band practice or after-school event where they felt like they belonged; a place where they wanted to be; a place where they fit in.”
Chely’s personal thoughts surrounding the event were disturbing and reminded Wright of a promise she made to herself long ago when she was growing up in a small Kansas town dreaming of making it big in country music.
"I always promised myself that if I ever ‘made it’ in the music business, I would do something to help other kids who might be interested in music," she said. "When the shootings took place at Columbine, it made me realize there was something I could do and now was the time to do it. I could bring music into children’s lives.”
Therein lay the premise behind Wright's Reading, Writing & Rhythm®. Wright came up with the idea to establish the non-profit in October 1999 with the purpose of raising funds for music education in public schools and to supply musical instruments and equipment to schools in need across the nation. “Research studies have shown, music education has been determined to improve school attendance, the ability to work in teams, self-esteem, self-discipline, early cognitive development, creativity, spatial reasoning skills, basic math and reading skills, in addition to the knowledge of other cultures and history. Music has the potential to help children develop important life skills. This decision was a ‘natural’ for me.”
Reading, Writing & Rhythm® is partnered with the National Association of Music Education (MENC), an organization that represents 85,000 public school music teachers, and with Yamaha. The MENC is directive and instrumental in the school selection and award process.
“Students involved in music are less likely to be involved in gangs, drugs or alcohol abuse and they have better attendance in school,” Chely adds. “Reading, Writing & Rhythm® offers the child who’s interested in music education the opportunity. Music is communicative. Music is magic. It’s infectious and students nationwide are catching on!"
Reading, Writing & Rhythm Benefit Concert
Artists who have given their time and supported RW&R by being part of the RW&R Benefit Concert. The concert takes place every June in Nashville as a kick off to the CMA Fest.:
Wynonna Judd, Martina McBride, SheDaisy, Keith Urban, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Rascal Flatts, Jessica Andrews, Josh Turner, Richard Marx, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Ty Herndon, Little Big Town, Steve Azar, Big & Rich, Jann Arden, Darryl Worley, Clay Walker, Brad Paisley, Loretta Lynn, Sissy Spacek, Ricky Skaggs, Bryan White, Jason Aldean, Keith Anderson, Julie Roberts, Jimmy Wayne, Blake Shelton, Jenny Gill, Gary Allan, Delbert McClinton, Ronnie Milsap, Terri Clark, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Cyndi Thompson, Billy Dean, Diamond Rio
ORDER-CHELY'S 2007 CALENDAR
100% of Sales Benefitting RW&R
Help Support Music Education
Click on calendar photo to order