"Bitcoin 4 Music": first results positive

"Bitcoin 4 Music", the event held at the Music Academy in the Hague last week, may not have directly resulted in the first BTC payments, but did have a widespread positive effect.

Since announcing the event, director Maria Lewanski has been interviewed by CoinDesk, asked to speak at a Bitcoin conference in Utrecht next Monday and done a radio interview for the Dutch FunX, a station popular with the younger generations.

During the event, many people asked questions about Bitcoin and several voiced their intentions to become involved, either by purchasing BTC, ordering mining hardware, and even starting up businesses offering BTC-related services.

"I was quite surprised by the speed with which our announcement spread around the internet!" says Lewanski. "I was also surprised to be invited to speak about BTC - I'm certainly no expert on the topic, but at least I've been able to publicly dispel many of the negative ideas that are circulating, and to point out many of the positive aspects of BTC."

Though the Music Academy has yet to receive their first Bitcoin payment, they hope the idea will catch on by September, when tuition for next year is officially due. And yes, the 10% discount offer still holds for the first 5 BTC customers.

In the meantime, the year-old school continues to look for funding for the last phase of the renovations to their building. Lewanski: "We've managed to cut overhead to a minimum so that we can operate without government funding, but for big, one-time expenditures like this, we're relying on donations from people who believe in the importance of music education for a broad public."

Would you like to support music education and help to broaden the BTC market? Donations can be made to:
URI: bitcoin:1FK6ZQGj8BZJjZiUPChBnwe462VJdTg7sX?label=Muziekacademie%20Den%20Haag%20
Address: 1FK6ZQGj8BZJjZiUPChBnwe462VJdTg7sX
Label: Muziekacademie Den Haag
 

"Bitcoin 4 Music": BTC event at Music Academy The Hague

Bitcoin is steadily gaining ground in the Netherlands. To promote BTC, various events have been held around the country - but this one is coming from an unexpected sector:

On Saturday June 21st, Music Academy The Hague is organizing "Bitcoin 4 Music":
The first five customers to pay with BTC will receive a 10% discount on next year's tuition.

Music Academy The Hague is the first educational institution in the Netherlands to accept Bitcoin. By organizing this event, which coincides with the Open House and Summer Concert, the Music Academy hopes to create positive awareness for BTC and encourage other institutions to follow suit.

"It seems like the media here is only interested in bad news about Bitcoin", says director Maria Lewanski. "Even the world Bitcoin2014 conference in Amsterdam didn't make the news. By being trailblazers in the cultural sector and organizing "Bitcoin 4 Music", we hope to help BTC shed some of the negative stigma and show people that in fact it's easy and safe to use - and who wouldn't like a 10% discount on their tuition?"

Bitcoin 4 Music will be held on Saturday June 21st, from 10:00 to 16:00, at Muziekacademie Den Haag, Berlage-Huis, Raamweg 36, Den Haag, Netherlands.

Interested in supporting music education and help to broaden the BTC market? Donations can be made to:
URI: bitcoin:1FK6ZQGj8BZJjZiUPChBnwe462VJdTg7sX?label=Muziekacademie%20Den%20Haag%20
Address: 1FK6ZQGj8BZJjZiUPChBnwe462VJdTg7sX
Label: Muziekacademie Den Haag

See www.muziekacademiedenhaag.nl or visit our Facebook page.

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination
and life to everything.”

Thus spake Plato, more than 2,000 years ago, but it's as true now as it was then: who can imagine a world without music?

And music doesn't only add colour to your life: countless scientific studies show that playing an instrument or singing is beneficial in any number of ways, from increasing intelligence and memory capacity to improving physical health and social skills.

At The Hague Music Academy, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to take music lessons. For the better part of a century, this goal was locally fulfilled by the Municipal Music School, which eventually merged with the dance, art and theater schools to form the Arts Centre. There, young and old, affluent or not so, could get lessons on any instrument in any style of music. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, the city fired all 174 teachers in July of 2013.

The music teachers were not daunted. A group of 40 decided to pursue their ideals against all odds: with no start capital and no funding, they set out to found a new music school: The Hague Music Academy.

Thanks to their effort and dedication, they have done what no major music school in the Netherlands has done before: operate without structural subsidy and without raising the prices, one of our top priorities being to keep quality music education within reach for all.

And the Music Academy is flourishing: since we opened our doors on September 1st, 2013, with 500 students, enrollment has already increased by 30%, to 650, and we fully expect this growth to continue in the coming years. However, whereas tuition fees cover our running costs (our total overhead is barely 20%), we are dependent on gifts and donations for large expenditures, such as pianos or renovations.

The Hague Music Academy was very fortunate in securing an affordable lease in the spectacular Berlage-Huis, a building by the famous Dutch architect of the same name. Originally built for office use, extensive renovations are required to make the venue (acoustically) suitable for music instruction. The building's owners, the German AIK Group, have generously funded a large part of the renovations - € 215,000 for the construction of 9 box-in-box studios in our northwest wing (phase 1). Several private foundations have pledged funds for two large studios for ensemble rehearsals and piano group lessons (phase 2). For the remaining 7 studios and the adjoining reception area (also € 215,000), we are still looking for funding.

As financial pioneers in a cultural sector which has always been chiefly dependent on government funding, we are constantly looking to broaden our horizons: We are now trailblazers - the first educational institution in the Netherlands to accept Bitcoin.

Once the news has spread, which it certainly will if we are able to report to the media that we have been able to finance the renovations with Bitcoin, other institutions will be encouraged to start accepting BTC as well. Both the potential positive media coverage and the possible wave of BTC "acceptors" would be very beneficial to Bitcoin in general. We also see a potential role for ourselves consulting for the cultural sector, which is struggling to refinance since the withdrawal of government funds, and to introduce other institutions to the possibilities of Bitcoin.

Bitcoin enthusiasts share our pioneer spirit - braving uncharted waters to follow what they believe in. To complete the renovations and help realize our dream of making music lessons available to many hundreds of people each year, we would need BTC 590 at the average exchange rate of the past months.

Who would like to support music education and help to broaden the BTC market? Donations can be made to:
URI: bitcoin:1FK6ZQGj8BZJjZiUPChBnwe462VJdTg7sX?label=Muziekacademie%20Den%20Haag%20
Address: 1FK6ZQGj8BZJjZiUPChBnwe462VJdTg7sX
Label: Muziekacademie Den Haag
 

Thank you for your support!

Maria Lewanski, director, The Hague Music Academy

We are legit:
Kamer van Koophandel:
(Chamber of Commerce no.): 56713347