CMA Music Fest
Created for the fans in 1972, CMA Music Festival brings it all together – artists, music, autographs, pictures, activities, and more – all for you, the most devoted fans in the world!
What can you expect at CMA Music Festival? If you’re a Country Music fan, you get an experience so surreal it’ll make your head spin! Thousands of passionate Country Music fans enjoy multiple music stages filled with new artists, superstars, legends and more. It’s your chance to discover music, and make a connection with stars and fellow fans! And remember proceeds from the Festival support music education in Metro Nashville Public Schools and other programs through the CMA Foundation’s Keep the Music Playing program.
The CMA Foundation’s Keep the Music Playing
The CMA Foundation’s Keep the Music Playing was created in 2006, by CMA’s Artist Relations Committee led by Kix Brooks, to give back to the community by supporting music in our schools on behalf of the artist who perform free during the CMA Music Festival. Keep the Music Playing has donated more than $8.9 million to programs furthering music education. Keep the Music Playing funds have supported:
- Metro Nashville Public Schools to build music labs and purchase more than 6,600 instruments in 144 Metro Nashville schools serving 81,000 public school students
- Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s Afterschool Music Theater program which engages 1,000 students in 15 Metro Schools
- Programming for Notes for Notes’ MusicBox Studios, an afterschool educational environment for youth to engage in common ground through music
- Purchasing of instruments, supplies and education material to outfit two music classrooms at the Hector Fontanez School Public School 103
- The CMA Foundation’s Keep the Music Playing summer camp program at W.O. Smith Music School
- Country Music Hall of Fame Words and Music Program
Why Music Education is Important
The CMA Foundation recognizes music education to be vital among our youth. Metro students participating in more than one year of music are 7% more likely to come to school each day; earn 15% higher grade point average; and are 52% more likely to graduate from high school on time than students who are not involved in music classes. A fine-tuned music education program also provides students access to potential college scholarships so they can further music education and earn advanced degrees.
“More than 94% of Americans believe that music is a key component to a child’s well-rounded education.”- 2006 Gallup Poll
The Country artist community supports the mission of Keep the Music Playing. Country artists who have visited schools and helped deliver instruments include Dierks Bentley, Suzy Bogguss, Kix Brooks, Jay DeMarcus, Emerson Drive, Sara Evans, Montgomery Gentry, David Nail, Kellie Pickler, Scotty McCreery, Luke Bryan, Chris Young, Eric Paslay and Jimmy Wayne.
Where else can you have this much fun, meet people as awesome as you, listen to your favorite music, discover new artists, and visit the best city in America? OK, we’re biased. Yep, what you’ve heard is true, others have tried to duplicate the formula but there is – and always will be – only one Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience. Are you ultimate?
