Creating opportunities for children to participate in the arts has been a founding principle of Books, Brushes & Bands for Education. Since its inception, BBB4E strives to provide hands-on activities so that children can experience the joy of creating a sculpture, making paper, crafting a story, and learning about music--both vocal and instrumental.

Music has been an integral part of our family's history. To share a note about why music is so important to me is to acknowledge my brothers' talents in performance. When I was a young child, our house was filled with musicians practicing for my brother Michael's dance band--The Golden Orchestra. Mike's specialty is piano and can he play. It was so exciting to hear live music and a dance band right in your very own living room. Latin arrangements were my favorite then and now. Contrabass and my brother Tom Golden were partners for life. As a young student, he began lessons with Rudolph Fassbender of the Chicago Symphony. After college at ASU, Tom played in jazz clubs in New York and toured on the road in the early 1960s. He then returned to Chicago and joined Ben Arden's Orchestra at the Empire Room. The band accompanied the entertainers Jimmy Durante, Ray Bolger, Sonny and Cher, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, and so many others. When the room closed, many Chicago musicians moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, to pursue opportunities there. Tom was active in the jazz community and was honored to play with Count Basie's Orchestra when they toured in Sedona, AZ. Those of us who attended parochial school in the Robertsdale area were trained to sing Gregorian chant as a part of our music instruction. So, when we arrived in high school, the choir, band, and orchestra teachers were delighted to welcome us and take us to the next level of mastery. As young students, we did some very challenging work and developed an ethic for preparation and performance that served us well as we prepared for a variety of careers. As I reflect on my own experience and that of my family, we were encourage to explore the arts and were fortunate to be taught by dedicated, talented mentors. 

As a Board member of BBB4E, I hope to work toward providing our students with opportunities to learn about the arts, experience the creative process, and learn from highly-skilled instructors as they participate in programming offered by Books, Brushes & Bands for Education. We hope that your visit to this website serves to encourage you to join in our mission. Thank you.