Give In-School Music Education to NYC Youth

As we entered spring, ETM continued to provide music education programs for 18,000 underserved students at 50 under-resourced schools in all five boroughs of New York City. Highlights include:

On February 27th, the talented P.S. 103 Ensembles Stars from P.S. 103 in the Bronx, led by their music teacher, Antoine Dolberry, performed at the New York City Council’s Black History Month Celebration.

 The students performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and received a standing ovation! It was an honor to be a part of this event and perform in the New York City Hall Council Chambers. Thank you to the New York City Council for welcoming us while paying tribute to the contributions Black communities have made to our city and country.

In March, we were delighted to welcome Bronx Borough President, Vanessa Gibson, to our partner school P.S. 72 in the Bronx to experience ETM’s programs in action.

During the visit, the Borough President visited with ETM Music Teachers Nikoletta Vokkri and Brittany Washington in the music room, and enjoyed a performance in the auditorium with music teacher Jessica Parr and the 90-piece 4th/5th grade concert wind band.

On April 11th, students from partner school Mosaic Preparatory Academy in Manhattan performed on the Lobby Stage of the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC).

It was a wonderful evening that showcased the students’ talents and demonstrated to the audience the immense joy that music-making brings. Thank you to PAC NYC for hosting us again, to the Commissioner of NYC’s Department of Cultural Affairs, Laurie Cumbo, for attending the event, and to ETM Teacher Colette Clark for her hard work in preparing the students for a successful performance.

On April 17^th, Education Through Music rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange. It was a wonderful event to celebrate our impact and raise the visibility of our mission.

Joining us on the podium were Board Co-Chair Rob Weisstuch, Board Co-Chair Heidi Stamas, Board members Manoj Susarla and Gabe Hernandez, ETM leadership Janice Weinman, Miranda Altman, Stephanie Nantell, and Rainah Berlowitz, music teacher Alfredo Hernandez and, most importantly, the students of partner school All Hallows High School!

As we entered 2024, we’re excited to share some of our accomplishments, from the classroom to the stage and beyond, that you helped make possible over the year:

·Provided high-quality music education to over 18,000 underserved students at 50 schools across the five boroughs of New York City.

·Hosted student performances at signature NYC venues, including the Perelman Performing Arts Center (with Grammy Award-winning trio Time for Three), the Beacon Theatre (with Grammy award-winning musician Lauren Daigle), One World Trade Center, and the offices of YouTube.

·Produced dozens of school winter concertsthat brought together students, teachers, and families to share in the joy of music.

·Trained and provided 33 music teachers with ongoing professional development and certification support to build and accelerate their careers.

·Launched a new professional development internship programto strengthen the pipeline of NYC music teachers, which we are currently recruiting for.

·Authored new curriculum initiatives, such as Pop Songs of the Week, that connect students' out-of-school music experience to their classroom learning.

·Produced enriching podcastswith music education leaders and influential artists that explore the practice, importance, and impact of music education.

ETM students also had some amazing performance opportunities. On December 19th, the All Hallows High School Modern Band opened for Grammy-award winner Lauren Daigle at the Beacon Theatre. And on December 22nd, student string ensembles are performing with Grammy-award winner trio Time for Three on the main stage of the Perelman Performing Arts Center in Downtown Manhattan. ETM was also featured on ABC7 New York: The segment highlighted the students, teachers, and principal from partner school PS 154 in Queens speaking about the impact of ETM’s programs.

Links:

• ABC7 New York News Feature on ETM