Education United States Project #11249

Music Instruments & Supplies for NYC Kids

by Education Through Music, Inc.

Music Instruments & Supplies for NYC Kids

Project Report | Dec 4, 2014
Holiday Cheer with Education Through Music

By Molly Gibson | Development Associate

Students sing for their friends and family!

The holiday season is an inspiring time for Education Through Music’s partner schools—and especially for those in their first year of working with ETM. After months of focused preparation, students perform in festive year-end concerts for family and friends (and for many of them, it’s their first time on stage!). Music teachers pause to take pride in how much their students have grown since only September. And we at ETM thank YOU for your dedicated support of inner-city music education. You make it all possible!

One music teacher, who works at two of ETM’s first-year partner schools, enthusiastically shares how her students have found joy and confidence through music class:

“In all of my classes, I have watched students come out of their shells… I have my students singing, dancing, acting, and playing instruments. I think being aware and comfortable of your body and movement is important in everyday life. It's amazing because every day I notice more and more students becoming confident in their own skin.”

She describes how singing has given one troubled student a constructive outlet for his emotions:

“One student, in particular, is known for having anger issues and physically lashing out. In my eyes, though, this student is extremely musical and has a lot of potential. My class gives him the opportunity to shine and show a different side to his personality that many teachers or staff rarely get to see. One fact that many would not know about this student is that he LOVES the song, ‘If I Could Fly Like A Snowflake.’ The first week I introduced this song, I could see a spark in his eyes. He was singing and dancing and he was genuinely happy. As I said, this student is known for his unsafe behavior. I see him in a completely different light. I see him as the student who is enthusiastic about music and who loves to sing. Whenever I see this student in a bad mood, I always remind him of the ‘Snowflake’ song and he instantly starts to regain control. Music has the ability to lift one’s spirits and change how we perceive the world around us. To this one young student, this song reminds him of happier thoughts and is able to help him get through rough parts of the day.”

Music has given this child an opportunity to express himself in a way that other classes have not. Singing helps him control his emotions and gives his teachers and school staff a better picture of his potential. Stories like this underscore how ETM values music education: as a subject important in its own right, and as a tool for promoting growth and development in other areas—emotional, social, and academic. 5,000 students are receiving these opportunities for the very first time this year, as their schools have just begun partnering with ETM. We couldn’t give these opportunities to deserving students without your support. Thank you!

Please forward this report to your family and friends and encourage them to learn about ETM. Have a wonderful holiday!

With sincere thanks,

The ETM Staff

Partner school students shine on stage!

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Sep 5, 2014
Back to School with ETM

By Molly Gibson | Development Associate

5th Grade Band Students Performing in June

Your support of our first-year partner schools has helped foster enthusiasm for music throughout our partner school communities. Music teacher Tom Carroll shares the following about P.S. 154 in Queens, which just completed its first year with ETM:

“Working in a new partner school is such a rewarding experience. It is so clear to see how the students, parents, and staff were affected by the introduction of a music program into the school culture. One 3rd grade teacher (who worked in the school for over 15 years) claims that it was the most important and influential initiative to ever come through the building. I remember after the first concert I went into her classroom and she hugged me, cried, and just said thank you. It was the most incredible thank you I ever received.”

ETM thinks music instruction is important both for its own sake and as a means to spark growth in other areas—academic, social, and emotional. Not surprisingly, some of our favorite stories show how exposure to music helps students learn about themselves and gain pride in their abilities. Tom shared with us how one of his students found confidence through his involvement with ETM:

“I had a 4th grade student who started the year as a shy and very soft spoken boy. His teacher even told me that she hoped the music classes would improve his self-esteem. Soon enough, this student joined the music club and ended up performing in a short scene in front of a crowded auditorium. After that experience, you would never know that he [had been] a shy student.”

Thank you for making these kinds of stories possible!

With the end of summer vacation upon us, ETM students and teachers are getting ready for another exciting and rewarding school year. This year, ETM’s program is expanding to serve 20,000 students in 38 New York City schools—thanks to contributions from donors like you.

Please consider forwarding this report to friends and family so they can share in your excitement for making quality music instruction available to all children.

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Jun 4, 2014
Music helps students shine on stage, and in the classroom and life

By Krystal Valentin | Development and Marketing Associate

Pictured: First year partner students singing

Thanks to your support, seven schools that just one year ago lacked comprehensive, school-wide music programs are today offering every student weekly music instruction. The change in these school environments is most palpable when the students take the stage, smiling with confidence, to perform in front of their family members and classmates at their spring concerts. Last week’s concert at PS 175 provides a glimpse of what is happening in partner school communities around the city thanks to your involvement:

At PS 175, the Lynn Gross Discovery School, a first-year partner school in Queens, Principal Patricia Cooper welcomed parents, guardians and other family members who packed the school’s auditorium:

“Thank you so much for coming. I’m so fortunate to be the principal here and be able to bring in a variety of programs to our students…music being one. Music fills a void, a place of hunger and is vital just as breathing fresh air is to our children. This is our second concert of the year since introducing the music program. [ETM music teacher] Mr. Kanakaris, who came to us by way of Education Through Music, has been a phenomenal addition to our school. We are happy the music program has been received so well by the students.”

Part of building a brand-new music program also includes educating audience members so they understand how music fits into their child’s education and development. Before beginning the concert, Principal Cooper and Mr. Kanakaris also encouraged parents to cheer on their children, but refrain from causing distractions during the pieces. The goal of every concert is to ensure all students receive a full and positive experience, which enables them to feel proud of their accomplishments on stage. A part of this experience is being able to share their joy with their parents and peers. Mr. Kanakaris promised parents an opportunity, after each grade’s section of songs, to take photos of their child on stage to capture the special occasion; an offer that parents proudly accepted.

Titled “Spring Memories,” the concert boasted a range of tunes—from patriotic pieces like “America, the Beautiful” to warm-weather numbers like “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and nostalgic hits like “In My Life” and “Blue Skies.”

At the end of the performances, Mr. Kanakaris announced that PS 175 hopes to add an elective band program for 5^th graders next year, following the model ETM has established in several other partner schools. When band is added as an elective, it has been shown, to reinforce general music class, support learning in other academic areas, and improve students’ self-confidence and sense of responsibility. As PS 175 continues to incorporate music into its school community, we know that the benefits of music education will continue to unfold.

Success at PS 175, and our other first-year partner schools, is possible due to your support. Thanks for helping ETM get music into the hands of students throughout New York City!

Unfortunately, many more students lack music instruction than we currently serve. If you’d like to help us expand our programming to keep the music playing in these new partner schools and others, please consider forwarding this report and ETM’s information to a friend or colleague who might also provide support.

Students singing confidently and proudly.

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