Rep Cheri Bustos repairing a cornet under the eye of West Music Repair Technician Andy Ross

 

MOLINE, ILLINOIS (September 12, 2019) On Friday, September 6, 2019, Representative Cheri Bustos (IL-17) — a member of the House Appropriations Committee, which addresses whether the needs of our region are being met and properly funded by the federal government — visited the West Music Quad Cities store for her latest “Cheri on Shift” job shadow. West Music Repair Technician Andy Ross led Rep Cheri Bustos in multiple repair activities on student trumpets and trombones during the busy back to school season.

“I have been meeting with Rep Bustos in Washington DC for the past several years, working to ensure full authorized funding for Title IV, Part A, the Student Support and Academic Enrichments (SSAE) program that provides funding to state and local districts access to a well-rounded education that includes music education,” Robin Walenta, West Music President and CEO, says. “It was wonderful to have Rep Bustos visit our Moline store and to experience first-hand our passion and commitment to music participation by providing quality products and support services to our local schools and regional customers.”

West Music has continued to advocate for music as part of a well-rounded education with their work at the state, regional, and national levels. Activities such as the international music products industry (NAMM) annual fly-in to Washington DC every spring, as well as state-level advocacy-efforts in Iowa and Illinois including the drive-in to the Iowa state congress in January in partnership with the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education, are meant to make sure that music and the arts are never taken for granted and their value is recognized by elected officials.

The impact of the importance of arts in academic performance continues to be documented in multiple studies, as well as educational partnerships including the Turnaround Arts programs and Grammy Best Communities for Music Education designations.

About West Music: West Music is a third-generation, locally-owned, and family-operated business. West Music has been the area’s leading partner specializing in pianos, guitars, drums and percussion, band and orchestra, and print music, as well as offering music education, music instruction, instrument repair, and music therapy services. With 7 retail locations in Iowa and Illinois as well as award-winning ecommerce websites dedicated to servicing music education and percussion communities, West Music strives to encourage people of all ages and abilities to play now and play for life.

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