David & Kay Williams Music Education Endowment

Dr. David Williams and Mrs. Kay Williams have devoted their professional lives in service to music education in the Bloomington-Normal community since 1976. Kay had taught hundreds of woodwind students in her private studio with many of her students selected for district and state honor bands, other performance honors, and several excelling professionally in music. David, emeritus professor of music and arts technology at Illinois State University, is recognized internationally for his writings, lectures, and workshops in music education, psychomusicology, and arts technology.

Both David and Kay have performed in community ensembles for musicals, church programs, and especially, the Bloomington-Normal Community Concert Band. This endowment is dedicated to the need to continue to support music education in the Central Illinois community and to promote enjoyment, education, performance, and creative expression through music activities. The endowment's focus is on supporting seed funds for special needs and new initiatives that serve to broaden music outreach to all people, young and old, in the community.

If you would like to support this endowment, please donate online.

David & Kay Williams Music Education Grant

Criteria for Grant Funding

To apply for the David and Kay Williams Music Education Grant, use IPCF's Mirza/Arts & Culture Grant application adhering to the unique "Selection Criteria" for the Williams grants. Please note, the Williams Music Education Grant application cycle is in February each year. For more information on grant cycles, click here.

The Williams Music Education Grant program is designed to support music as a life-long pursuit in the McLean County and surrounding community for traditional music education activities as well as less-formal, participatory music activities that have an education mission. Traditional music ensembles may include, for example, wind or jazz bands, orchestras, choirs, or the like in their various forms; participatory/folk ensembles may include, for example, guitars, ukuleles, Orff instruments, ethnic instruments, vocal groups, and other similar groupings. Music learning and music making for all ages and levels of music ability are supported by the grant program, including those who are disadvantaged or require special-needs.

Specifically within the broad scope of this grant, program proposals:

  1. Must clearly articulate how the activity will serve music education to as wide and diverse an audience as possible.
  2. Should request funding for a one-time, non-recurring need.
  3. May support a need to fund a clinician, visiting artist, composer commission, but not funding for general administrative, personnel or operating costs.
  4. May support the one-time purchase of unique needs for music equipment in support of music programs, ensembles and activities that promote creating, performing or producing music experiences.
  5. May explore the use of innovative technology in creative ways for music learning, creativity and performing experiences using any combination of instruments and music technology.

Past Recipients

The following programs received funding from the David & Kay Williams Music Education Endowment:

2023:

  • BCAI Cultural Arts & Humanities - $3,024
    "Hip Hop Elemental Arts: Session 6"     - To connect local youth with music industry professionals and professional artists to co-create a published song and complimentary music video from scratch, providing youth a unique, constructive avenue and outlet to explore and express their emotions, thoughts, desires and calls to action.
  • Olympia CUSD 16 - $3,500
    "Breaking the Barriers: Music for All"     - To remove systemic barriers for rural, low-income students so that they can reap the benefits of music education starting in elementary school, thus leading to increased numbers in the program.

2022:

  • Community Concert Band - $4,000
    "New Music for the People" - To bring a new, original piece of concert band music to as many people as possible, including both musicians and audience members.
  • Music Connections Foundation - $4,200
    "Niños y Música" - To develop English language skills in parents and children, educate parents on how to interact actively with their children through music and promote positive parenting behaviors to foster optimal child development at home.

2021:

  • Share the Music - $1,809
    "Instrument Lending Program" - To enable participation in music programs at schools, by making instruments available to those who cannot afford them.

2020:

  • Mt. Pulaski CUSD 23 Music Department - $2,696
    "Risers for Mt. Pulaski Concerts and Logan County Music Festival" to purchase risers, providing ample room and a safe place for students to perform.

2029:

  • Prairie Central Elementary School CUSD #8 - $1,985
    "General Music"     to get students to move, create, think, dance and make music using a combination of instruments and method  music learning; grant will purchase instruments.

2018:

  • Sheridan School - $700
    "Bum-Bah, Bum-Bah, Bum, Bum, Bum … Drumming Resources for Rhythmic Competency" to purchase supplies for 30 can drum kits for classroom and resources for teaching the rhythm material to students.
  • Illinois Symphony Orchestra Inc. - $5,000
    "Illinois Symphony Orchestra's Concerts for Kids - Peter and the Wolf with the Magic Circle Mime Company" to provide more than 800 free tickets to Concert for Kids to McLean County elementary students from low-income neighborhoods.