Welcome to MeMA-Music
Encourage Your Students to Expand Their Thinking
Harness the power of arts-integrated learning to…
Engage and Inspire
MeMA-Music’s art residency programs for middle and high school students teach youth to recognize the power of music as a voice for social justice in our world. Our programs integrate music and lyrics that convey messages about injustice and intolerance with historical and cultural studies through themes of liberation struggles and socio-political movements from the past to the present. Students examine how music and art have served as instruments for expressing social change and non-violent protest. Through this collaborative process, they make authentic connections across different subjects, examine historical perspectives, and strengthen critical thinking and literacy skills. At the end of the program, students develop the ability to craft their own compelling messages using music, words, art, and technology and present their Messages Of Change projects in a dynamic student showcase, celebrating their collective efforts and achievements.
Authentic Learning
Our programs empower students by connecting academic learning to the real world relevant to students’ lives. They develop the knowledge and skills to be successful, engaged citizens. They can see how what they are learning in class has practical applications in the real world and can help them navigate the mass array of daily media content they are exposed to. To become life-long learners, students must understand how past events and actions continue to impact the present and can help shape their future. We strongly believe that music offers messages and oral histories of our society and has been used as a communication tool for positive change.
Student Voice
Students are allowed to express themselves and actively participate in their learning through MeMA-Music. Our programs value all students’ diverse perspectives and backgrounds, promoting open and respectful dialogue. The “Messages of Change” project empowers students to create messages that reflect their vision for a better world. Students take ownership of their learning by researching and presenting their findings creatively. MeMA-Music provides a safe and holistic environment for students to develop civic and social awareness.
Arts Integration
MeMA-Music’s programs strategically connect content and develop skills across multiple subject areas, including literacy, social sciences, technology, civics, art, social-emotional learning, and music. Students create their final projects using an array of mediums, including film, visual art, multimedia, creative writing—poetry, rap, spoken word, stories— dramatic skits, and live performances, to convey their ideas and aspirations for a brighter future. Research shows bringing the arts into core curricula raises student achievement and improves student engagement.
Our programs engage students
creatively, socially, and cognitively
Lessons are relevant and responsive to students’ culture, home lives, and identity
Empowers students to be active citizens by engaging in their local communities
Teaches students the power of working together
Prepares students for life and work
Promotes confidence and builds self-esteem
Nurtures students’ creativity and inspires critical thinking
Motivates students to learn about what’s going on in their world
Jeanne Warsaw and Janet Jackson
Meet Our Founder-Jeanne Warsaw
A Trailblazer in the music industry, Jeanne Warsaw, a Chicago native, has over 25 years of experience. She has championed renowned recording artists such as Janet Jackson, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Lenny Kravitz, and many more. Her journey in the music industry began with the iconic Chicago retail chain Rose Records, where she served as a buyer. Her career trajectory soared as she assumed the role of Radio Promotion Assistant for Sony Records in New York. Since then, she has been unwavering in her dedication to the music business. Among her notable achievements, Jeanne has been Executive Promotion & Marketing Director for Sony Music, RCA, Elektra/Warner Bros., and Virgin Records. She also founded her own consulting company, JW Promotions. Jeanne’s career experience in the music business provides her with unique insight into the world of popular music and how music can be a voice for change.
After leaving the music industry, Jeanne embarked on a new mission to empower students from diverse backgrounds. She aims to teach them how to utilize the arts to spread positive messages of change and become advocates for themselves and their future. For 13 years, her non-profit organization, MeMA-Music, Inc., has been a beacon of success, providing education and mentorship to students in Chicago public and private schools and community centers.
