Songs as Mental Health Break…

If you are like me, you will need mental health breaks to maintain your sanity this year. For my part, I am starting my day with a great song, working alphabetically by song title (note: this does not mean a single song per letter). In comments, predict the next song, let me know a deserving song I have passed by, or tell me why this was an awful choice. Enjoy!

“If you could heal a broken heart wouldn’t time be out to charm you?”

When Palm Springs Unified School District Superintendent Tony Signoret was in college during the ’80s in Los Angeles, he saw Guns N’ Roses perform a concert before the iconic rock band signed a record contract. He was surprised last year during a cabinet meeting when he came across a proposal by the band’s former drummer Matt Sorum.

Signoret said he was “thrilled” when he saw that proposal from Sorum’s music education nonprofit, Adopt the Arts, which is going into effect in all the district’s elementary schools during the 2024-25 school year with plans to expand the program in the future. Funding is being provided entirely by Adopt the Arts and will not cost the district any money.

On Monday, GoodNoise studio in Palm Springs, which is owned by Sorum and musician Jason Mendelson, hosted an open house to celebrate the launch of the program.

“There’s enough funding now that ensures the arts are not cut from budgets, even as we’re coming into tighter fiscal times over the next couple of years,” Signoret said. “There’s a lot of state support for that, and we’re blessed our school board has always prioritized the visual and performing arts. That’s been a big priority for us over many years. It’s not just about donating and bringing in instruments, it’s providing mentorship from professional musicians.”