Music Instruments & Supplies for NYC Kids

From all of us at Education Through Music, we hope you are staying safe and finding creative ways to enjoy the summer! While the school year may be over, we know music continues to inspire our students and communities. 

Our partner school students and teachers rose to the challenges that the past school year brought. Making music while socially distant isn't easy, but they got creative. From homemade music instruments, to virtual sing-alongs, music education has continued to motivate even in the toughest of times. We saw the value of this hard work in the feedback from our community.

The principal of an ETM partner school in Harlem shared, “Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, ETM made an investment in serving the Harlem community a top priority. Thanks to our partnership, I am pleased to share that music education is alive and vibrant at [my school]. As we've shifted to a remote learning model, ETM continues to provide a space where kids have an opportunity to be imaginative, engaged and safe. Now, parents and caregivers are in awe of how amazing ETM truly is because they see from their homes how their kids light up and for one moment in their day find the joy of being a kid. I am appreciative of ETM and my amazing educator!”

As schools prepare for an uncertain future, ETM is preparing to make music a vital part of that future, no matter what. ETM is focused on maintaining students’ access to music education and will work with principals closely to make music a reality in the coming year.

Whatever school will look like in the fall, ETM will continue providing vibrant programming for thousands of students across the city. We’re excited to bring some unique and engaging activities to our students:

• Whether in-person or virtually, we’ll be bringing music technology to more students than ever before. Through music tech software, students can compose their own beats and songs, learn about sound engineering, record podcasts, and more.

• ETM is also providing special training to our music teachers on virtual learning, such as how to ‘gamify’ lesson plans, make their own instruments, and engage entire families in music.

We’re proud to have supporters like you who will make it possible for us to bring music to a brand new educational landscape. We’re excited to share more stories with you in the months to come. Thank you for driving equity and access for so many young learners. Don’t forget to share this report with a family member or friend to let them know the incredible difference supporting ETM can make!

On behalf of Education Through Music’s staff and partner schools, we hope this update finds you safe and well. We’re more grateful than ever to have such a strong community of supporters, as we help thousands of students across New York City navigate these challenging times. 

The world has profoundly changed over the past three weeks. And, in response, ETM has transformed. We have spent the last three weeks adapting our proven model of in-school music classes and enrichment to meaningful and engaging lessons and activities accessible via distance learning.

The result is a robust, creative, flexible, and need-responsive collection of lessons and activities for our students, from the fourth-grade flute player to the seventh-grade music technology student. Our teachers are using Google Classroom, Zoom, and more to reach students face to face, giving them a sense of normalcy. We are creating video lessons, tutorials, projects and more – providing a wealth of digital resources tailored to the needs of our schools and students. 

ETM’s program staff is collaborating with our affiliates in Denver and Los Angeles, working together to build out a new way of teacher music beyond the classroom walls. ETM’s team of music teachers is committed to continuing to design new and engaging lessons, learn new technologies, find new ways to connect with their students, and connecting with their colleagues across the city.

Our mission to provide students with high-quality music education in the weekend ahead is urgent and essential. You have likely seen countless examples of people turning to music to raise their spirits, connect with their communities, and serve as a much-needed form of expression. In turn, ETM’s distance learning model is driving students’ cognitive and social-emotional growth, while allowing them to make noise, move around, and connect to the world. 

One ETM partner school principal recently shared, “Education Through Music has helped us to keep our school community motivated, since we all pride ourselves on our music classes, choir and band program!...The support of ETM is of crucial importance to me as a New York City principal during the difficult time.”

Thank you for being a part of the ETM family. Your support is making sure that students continue to have music as a core part of the education and their daily lives during this crisis. You are improving access and equity for so many. We look forward to continuing to share our work with you, and celebrate the achievements of the students we serve. Don’t forget to share this report with a family member or friend to let them know the incredible difference supporting ETM can make!

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