"The Next Step"

Phase I - November 2002 marked the beginning of research and development of the START program. Between November 2002 and May 2003, twenty-eight START research programs were presented in the form of small focus groups (20-40 students). The presentations were staged in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Florida and were captured on video for review, promotion, and follow-up.

Phase I was accomplished through the partnering of Penfield Productions, Bob Gatzen, and Billy Ashbaugh. Product support and expenses were provided through artist endorsements and a grant from the St. Cloud Florida City Council.

"The next step" - With 28 performances under their belt, Billy Ashbaugh and Bob Gatzen are prepared to take the next step. The development of Phase II has already begun with grant support from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) and the D'addario Foundation. Additional support comes from product endorsements.

Phase II- the goal is to expand to a "Day of START" by providing an exciting exposure program presented to the entire student body. Following the performance, a number of "interactive" creative workshops will be conducted, similar to the focus groups in Phase I of START. The challenge is to preserve the intimacy and interactive nature of the small group workshops in a dynamic presentation for the entire student body. The goal is to expand student contact by reaching 10,000 students in 2004. Again, the presentations will be filmed. Media pieces will be created and distributed back to the host school systems as a means of follow-up.

START Big - Dependent on student population and size of the facility, a 45-minute program(s) will be presented to the entire student body. Original music program will feature lyrics delivering the START message of creativity and idea-making. The students will be invited to become part of the musical performance through call and response. A CD package of the music complete with lyrics will be distributed to every student as a reminder of the Start Day.

The START ensemble will be expanded to include a guitarist/vocalist with back music provided via computer. The hi-tech nature (computerization, virtual studio, voice processing, etc) of the program will be another example of how good ideas have positively affected the way we make music today.

START Small - 25-50 students will be selected for each 1-hour program. The performers will conduct interactive workshops. The goal is to inspire the children to think creatively and to encourage educators to apply creative techniques in everyday classroom instruction. Ultimately, the connection between creative thinking and "passionate learning" will be established by suggesting ways for children to develop and apply their creativity to academic studies and everyday events. The hope is to propel the arts farther up the ladder of importance in public school curriculums as a foundational element in education.

STARTalking - The START website is being updated allowing students to make contact with Billy Ashbaugh and Bob Gatzen. STARTalking has been added and is being promoted by placing the START logo and site information on materials distributed at the performances (CD's, DVD's, Drum Sticks, etc).

Time line - Rehearsals will take place between September and October 2003 and the series will begin in Nov. 2003 through 2004 in the northeast and southeast regions of the country.