CMA Fest raises $2.5 million for music education

Yahoo

2 days ago

Before eager country music fans packed the Riverfront Stage and the big stage at Nissan Stadium lit up for the opening night of the CMA Fest, a local high school marching band turned heads in downtown Nashville.
The Ravenwood High School marching band, known as The Rhythmic Ravens, lined up outside Music City Center before marching into the Fan Fair X space on June 5. Police vehicles moved out of the way to clear the view. Friends, family and perfect strangers gathered to watch as the band played. And Tiffany Kerns, the executive director of the CMA Foundation, said she got teary-eyed as she watched it all unfold.
"I just can't help but have a sense of pride for them," Kerns said. "Everyone's proud. Everyone has their phones out. Everyone's taking video. It's like, 'Oh, we're all parents right now.'"
This year, the festival brought in $2.5 million that will help power music education for kids like the Rhythmic Ravens in Tennessee and nationwide, Kerns said.
A lesser-known fact about the annual CMA Fest is that artists donate their time to the festival and ticket proceeds go to the CMA Foundation. The nonprofit arm of the County Music Association was established in 2011 to partner with schools and music educators, provide grants and build equity in music education programs.
Ticket sales aren't the only thing that benefit the foundation during CMA Fest, Kerns said. Some artists sell merchandise that also goes toward the cause.
Country music star Carly Pearce took a step further by cleaning out her closet and selling her clothes during a special "Carly's Closet" pop-up on Saturday. Eager fans lined up to get some swag and catch a performance by the "Hummingbird" singer. Organizers said the event brought in $25,000 this year, making it the largest one to date.
The Rhythmic Ravens were the first of several performances that featured students during this year's festival, which drew tens of thousands to Nashville. Other students on the lineup included New Orleans musicians from nonprofit Roots of Music, the Riverdale High School marching band, the Stratford High School marching band, Nashville School of the Arts student and songwriter Kingston Kharif, a rock band from Percy Priest Elementary and others.
Opinion: My music students will play at CMA Fest. More kids need this opportunity
Kerns hopes the experience the kids have at CMA Fest sticks with them for years to come.
"Seeing the way that it brings joy to young people is a real gift," Kerns said.
Learn more about the CMA Foundation and its work at CMAfoundation.org.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: CMA Fest 2025: $2.5 million raised for music education