Community organizations join forces to bring arts education to children of the Lower East Side
| 22 Mar 2023 | 10:37
Lessons on a variety of instruments will be offered at the new program. Photo: Greenwich House Music School.
Several organizations are teaming up in 2023 to bring theater, music and dance education to children on the Lower East Side and Brooklyn.
Little Mozart Foundation and Greenwich House Music School are partnering with the Grand Street Settlement centers to bring arts education into early childhood classrooms.
The program specifically aims to provide access to arts education to children from low-income families, who may not otherwise have the opportunity to learn about music, theater and dance. Grand Street Settlement, which was founded in 1916 and has since expanded to Brooklyn, provides educational and childcare programs for children in the local community. In 2023, these arts programs will diversify Grand Street’s offerings and provide classes for over 150 children.
“Exposure to music, specifically live music, improves children’s motor skills, school readiness, reading, and social/emotional capabilities. With this in mind, Little Mozart Foundation’s experiential learning opportunities bring music to life for the students,” said Sara Sherman, a director at the Little Mozart Foundation.
The classes will expose students to a wide variety of traditional orchestral instruments such as piano, french horn, trombone, violin, viola, cello, trumpet and clarinet. The courses will conclude with a concert the children put on for their families.
In addition to the music programs, Greenwich House Music School will provide dance education, with NYC Ballet principal dancer teaching ballet classes emphasizing teamwork and rhythm.
“The Lower East Side and Brooklyn are filled with curious and talented children that enjoy dancing around with friends and parents,” says Willing Chin-Ma, interim CEO of Grand Street Settlement. “This partnership brings music to my ears.”