Music Instruments & Supplies for NYC Kids

Happy New Year from Education Through Music! Across the city, students and teachers are returning from winter break, getting ready for more learning and growing. As you know, ETM is reaching more children than ever in New York City – bringing ongoing, life-changing music education to 36,000 students in under-resourced schools. Your support is helping ETM bring year-long music instruction to more than 8,000 students for the very first time through our newest partnerships. Thanks to you, ETM is increasing equity and access throughout the five boroughs.

How do we make sure the students in our partner schools have access to the highest quality music education? We make sure they have the most well-prepared music educators. ETM hires and places music teachers in our new partner schools, and then provides the intensive, customized training and support these teachers need to be effective. ETM music teachers work with students with a variety of needs, backgrounds, and abilities—and we give them training and guidance that reflect their unique challenges and opportunities. In fact, music teachers at ETM partner schools have access to more than 7x the amount of professional development workshops as their colleagues at non-partner schools, in addition to comprehensive mentoring.

Over the past few months, partner school music teachers have attended trainings on specialized topics like selecting great repertoire, crisis management and trauma sensitive teaching, the intersection of music education and social justice, engaging communities through music performance, and band & orchestra methodology. Teachers have also been studying curriculum and pedagogy and learning how to leverage instruments and supplies at each grade level.

Music teachers have shared how ETM’s training has been meaningful to their work. One said, “I enjoyed the level of energy and enthusiasm as well as knowledge that each presenter shared.” Another said, “The professional development sessions were the best I have ever taken.”

The real payoff from ETM’s investment in our music teachers is seen in the lives of the children who participate in our programs. Teachers make a difference in both the short and long-term. Rachel, an alumna of ETM partner elementary and middle schools who is continuing to study music in high school, said, “[My ETM music teachers] made me realize both my ability and passion for something I had never had the opportunity to study before.”

By supporting Education Through Music, you are helping equip music teachers to make a mark every day in the classroom, as they impact the lives of thousands of students in need across New York City. Thank you for providing students with the access and education to realize their full potential. Share this report with a family member or friend to let them know the incredible difference supporting ETM’s quality music education can make!

Links:

• Education Through Music website