History
November 2007: Kiff Gallagher, with support and leadership from friends and volunteers, establishes the Music National Service Initiative through his micro‐indie record label, Peacelabs Music, Inc.- January 2008: MNS hosts MusicTank‐Vol. 1 at The Aspen Institute in Washington, D.C. to discuss the MusicianCorps concept with 50 leaders in music/arts, national service, social innovation, education and philanthropy
- February‐December 2008: Organizational and development meetings are held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston and New Orleans to build support for MusicianCorps
- December 2008: The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation awards $500,000 to MNS to launch MusicianCorps San Francisco Bay Area and support national development and advocacy for Music National Service
- April 2009: Bi‐partisan congressional supporters of MNS add a “musician and artist corps” amendment to the Kennedy Serve America Act
- April 2009: MNS helps launch the bi‐partisan Congressional Musicians Caucus to support “innovative policy strategies that incorporate music in the fields of education, health and social policy as well as the use of music for increased civic engagement, volunteerism, diplomacy and peace”
- May 2009: MNS convenes MusicTank ‐ Vol. 2 in Chicago to present the MusicianCorps program model, and plan the national pilot with key stakeholders, including pilot partners Urban Gateways, Arts Corps and the Ruth U. Fertel Foundation
- May 2009: MNS awarded AmeriCorps*VISTA grant to support national program capacity
- June‐July 2009: 20 MusicianCorps Pilot Mentors recruited in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, New Orleans and Seattle
August 2009: MusicianCorps National Pilot launches with a training camp in San Francisco Bay Area, followed by site‐based trainings nationwide- January 2010: MusicianCorps enters the new year serving at 26 public schools, 7 parks and recreation centers, 2 public housing communities, 4 hospitals, 2 hospice residences and 10 community‐based organizations
- June 2010: MNS year‐end National Gathering for MC Mentors held in San Francisco to share experiences, review lessons learned and make music. Click here to read our pilot evaluation executive summary
- August 2010: MNS launches MusicianCorps Bay Area program for the 2010-11 school year. Organization strengthens and expands programs and initiatives
- Fall 2010: MNS innovation and leadership recognized: United Nations Compendium, Social and Economic Solutions; GQ Gentlemen's Fund, Humanitarian Award; Philanthropedia, Top National Nonprofit Start-up U.S. News and World Report
- January 2011: California based foundations Kimball and Irvine award MNS grants for program and leadership
- January 2011: "Lean On Me" MLK Day of Service & Music. Read more here...
- February 2011: The Corporation of National and Community Service awards MNS national expansion planning grant
- March 2011: The Center for Music National Service opens new HQ in San Francisco's Mission District. Read more here...
March 2011: MC featured on TakePart.com for youth education, and ABC for Children's Health- May 2011: President's Committee on the arts and humanities highlights MNS in national report
- May 2011: MC wraps up another year. See end-of-year peformances here...
- June 2011: MC Summer Band Camp begins. See Mission Community Market Performance pics here...
- June 2011: MNS's Commitment to Expanding MC profiled at Clinton Global Initiative See photos from CGI here...
- August 2011: MusicianCorps Bay Area program for the 2011-12 year begins
- October-November 2011: Austin, TX, Mayor and City Council commits to launching local MNS office and MusicianCorps program
- October-November 2011: San Francisco VA Medical Center's Community Living Center commits to full-time MusicianCorps position
