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Education Secretary Margaret Spellings says she backs the education budget proposed by the President. The budget seeks to cut funding by more than $3-billion. Bush’s proposal also targets low-income education programs for de-funding. Funding cuts in arts and education have serious repercussions on students in local communities.

In the 1970s, the Music Program at East LA College was well funded in comparison to today’s standards. But cuts in funding for education and arts in the 1980s changed this. Most young people in East LA who started college in the late 90s and into this decade, began attending other colleges for music classes. But several students have returned to East LA College because of the dedication of one instructor: Chuy Martinez.

Chuy has been involved with the East LA College Latin Jazz Band for almost 6 years. His class has grown from a mere 8 students to over 40 today. The group has played at most of the Jazz Festivals on the West Coast and have performed numerous concerts between with college and high school groups. The Reno Jazz Festival which takes place every April, has been dubbed “the largest and most vibrant competition of its kind in the nation”. The festival is a regular event for the East LA College Latin Jazz band, where they have won several group and solo awards. This year, as they do every year, the band plays several concerts at Paul’s Kitchen on Atlantic Blvd in Monterey Park to raise funds for the trip to the Reno festival and to buy new instruments.

The ELAC Latin Jazz Band will be playing this Wednesday at 8 pm at:

Paul’s Kitchen
1950 S Atlantic Blvd, Monterey Park, CA

For more information, call 323-265-8948. or email martinje@elac.edu.