On Tuesday morning (June 24), Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey made a generous contribution to keep music alive in Nashville’s schools. The lead singer and co-founder of The Ramsey Foundation presented a $50,000 check to J.T. Moore Middle School to support their “BAND TOGETHER” fundraiser, an initiative fighting to save the school’s concert band program.
The event took place on the J.T. Moore campus, where Ramsey surprised students and campaign leaders Kate Cropp and Janet Macdonald with the donation. Principal Dr. Gary Hughes was also on hand to accept the check on behalf of the school.
Back in March, it was announced that J.T. Moore’s long-standing band program would be eliminated for the 2025–2026 school year due to funding cuts. In response, a dedicated group of parents launched the “BAND TOGETHER” campaign to raise the money needed to keep the program going.
Thanks to Ramsey and The Ramsey Foundation, the fundraiser has now brought in over $65,000. That’s enough to hire a part-time band director for the upcoming school year. The ultimate goal? To raise $92,000 by June 30 to secure a full-time teacher and ensure every grade level gets access to music education.
As Ramsey shared with the students during the check presentation, this campaign hits close to home. He knows firsthand the power of music to shape lives and build community, especially when kids are given the tools to explore their talents early on.
Want to help keep the music going? Donations to the “BAND TOGETHER” campaign can be made online at jtmoore.org/support-jtm/band-together.
