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When the Anaheim Elementary School District prioritized bringing comprehensive music education back, Save The Music made the commitment to match their investment by providing grants, helping to build the elementary band programs. Since 2015, STM has donated more than $500,000 worth of instruments and supplies to 15 AESD schools. To celebrate this partnership, we brought recording artist, Alana Springsteen to Horace Mann Elementary!

Alana discovered her passion for music at a young age and believes in the power of early exposure. She recalls getting her first guitar at seven years old. So when she learned that AESD offers students the opportunity to learn how to play at least six instruments by the sixth grade, she was excited to see it in action. 

Students joined Alana in performing her hit song, “Always Gonna Love You.” Even she was moved by this special moment saying that it was surreal to have her lyrics sung back to her and how she “still cannot get over how incredible it was getting to meet and hang out with these sweet kids.”

Alana Springsteen supports music education

Alana also participated in a Q&A where she talked about who inspired her to pursue a career in music. Her grandfather was a pastor and she grew up singing in church. After she taught herself how to play the guitar, her uncle would give her lessons on learning new chords. When she moved to Nashville, she would get together with other artists and contribute different ideas to each other’s songs, a process called “co-writing.”

In addition, students had the chance to meet Alana in person and get her autograph! Here they are talking about how excited they feel and how much they enjoyed the show. 

One student named Nicole was especially thrilled to meet Alana as she loves to sing and Alana is her favorite artist!

Alana Springsteen celebrates Save The Music education grant

To have Alana, a successful recording artist, perform for our students is really transformative for them. To see first hand where their love for music can take them is empowering.

– Superintendent Dr. Christopher Downing

Save The Music is thrilled with our progress in AESD! Special thank you to the Henry W. and Ellen R. Warne Family Endowment Fund (Orange County Community Foundation) and Sound Start, a Sound United Foundation for their vital support!

Bio written by Alana Springsteen herself: Hey guys 🙂 I’m alana! I was born and raised in VA Beach so I am a beach girl at heart! Ever since I can remember, I’ve been in love with music. I grew up singing in my Grandad’s church and everywhere we went, he would tell everyone, “ You gotta hear this girl sing!” So that’s what I did. 🙂  Everywhere I went, I was singing. 
 
I got my first guitar when I was 7 years old. I was so drawn to it and all I knew was that I HAD to have it and I HAD to learn to play. My uncle would come over on weekends and teach me chords and strumming patterns and I was obsessed! 
 
After a few years, I began putting lyrics to music. I wrote my first song when I was 9 and was instantly in love with telling my own stories. The more I wrote, the more I realized that it was what I was born to do. 
 
I was looking for every chance I could to perform, so I started singing The National Anthem at local events. I sang for The Norfolk Tides, my local baseball team, when I was 8 years old. Some news stations heard about it and covered the story, as I was the youngest to sing the national anthem there! By some twist of fate, The Chicago Cubs also had me sing the anthem at Wrigley Field when I was 9 years old. It was the experience of a lifetime and something I’ll never forget. Before long I was taking trips to Nashville with my family to pursue music. I was 10 the first time I came to Nashville and I started co-writing and meeting as many people as I could.  I moved to Nashville and signed my first publishing deal when I was 14 and began to find my voice and sound as an artist. In 2019 I got the chance to release my debut EP into the world and I couldn’t be more grateful for all of the support I’ve received on it.. 
 
It’s crazy to look back on my journey so far and everything it took to get here. All I know is I was born to do this!! I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else 🙂 
 
Music is my first love and my passion and I am SO EXCITED to share what I’ve been working on with you guys  <3