Contact:  Rick Peterson, Manager of News Services, 920/832-6590
For Immediate Release
January 21, 2000        

Lawrence Arts Academy Hmong Music Program Awarded Grant, National
Citation 


     APPLETON, WIS. -- The Lawrence Arts Academy has been awarded a
$6,000 special projects grant by the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation for
its Enriched Instrumental Instruction (EII) for Hmong Children program.
The grant will be used for the acquisition of additional instruments for
the program.
     Started in 1991, the Arts Academy's EII program recruits school-age
Hmong students from the Appleton Area School District and provides them
with music instruction and preparation for school band programs.  The
six-week summer program includes introductory lessons for groups of 4-6
beginners and private lessons for some instruments and culminates with
an annual concert in July.  Since its inception, the program has grown
to an enrollment of nearly 100 students each summer.
     "This grant enables us to own our instruments without worrying
about covering annual rental costs," said Caroline Brandenberger, artistic
director of the Arts Academy. "We've had such a positive response from
the children and their families to this program.  The students are
making great strides musically and many of them are pursuing their music
interests through their school band programs, often as principal chairs.
     "More importantly, we've seen many of the students in the program
approach other aspects of their school experiences with greater
self-confidence," Brandenberger added.  "The hard work and dedication of
a lot of individuals have made the EII Project a great success in many
ways.  To cap it with a Mr. Holland's Opus grant is enormously
gratifying."
     The California-based Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, inspired by the
critically-acclaimed motion picture, "Mr. Holland's Opus," promotes
instrumental music nationwide by partnering with businesses, schools,
communities to provide new
and refurbished musical instruments to qualified schools and individual
students.  
     In addition to the grant, the EII program also has been named one
of 40 national semifinalists by the President's Committee on the Arts
and the Humanities' Coming Up Taller Award. It was one of only two
community-based programs in Wisconsin cited from 350 nominations
nationwide.  
     Supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Coming
Up Taller Award recognizes exceptional programs of the arts and
humanities for children, especially disadvantaged and underserved
children, throughout the country.