At Straz, we’re witness to class after class of performing arts students attending Patel Conservatory, learning dance, theater and, of course, music.
An organization founded by husband and wife music teachers takes music learning into their community and sponsors events to encourage music education.
Every child should have the opportunity to play music: That belief is the foundation of the nonprofit Keep Music Alive, and International Teach Music Week is one of the ways it spreads the word.
Husband and wife Vincent James and Joann Pierdomenico founded Keep Music Alive in 2014 to promote the educational, therapeutic and social benefits of playing music for children and adults. Teach Music Week is an effort to connect potential students with instructors, instilling the love of learning and playing music in youngsters, as well as the not so young: Keep Music Alive also encourages adults, reminding them it’s never too late to start playing music.
Keep Music Alive also sponsors Kids Music Day on the first Friday of October. Keep Music Alive partners with music schools, stores and other musical organizations for activities such as student performances, instrument petting zoos, drum/guitar/ukulele circles, instrument donation drives, free introductory lessons, “Bring a Friend to Lesson” and Kids Music Day sales on lessons, instrument, and accessories.
Kids Music Day has some musical heavy hitters among its ambassadors, including Julie Andrews, Richie Sambora, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, Jack Black and Todd Rundgren.
Vincent and Joanne also put on musical petting zoos around the greater Philadelphia, Penn., area, which is their home base. For these events, the couple brings around 50 musical instruments, providing a fun and informal way for attendees to play music and possibly spark an interest in learning to play.
The value of these events, and of organizations such as Keep Music Alive, is most apparent when a child who otherwise has no access to musical instruments or lessons discovers the magic of creating music.
Music lessons have been shown to improve performance in other classrooms as well: Music students core higher in math, science and reading. They also learn and practice traits such as patience, discipline and perseverance.
“Music education is a paradigm for all the skills we need for a fulfilling and rewarding life,” said Dr. Catherine Michelsen, string specialist in Patel Conservatory’s Music Department, “We learn to work independently (practice), as part of a small team (chamber music), with others as part of a larger vision (orchestra/band/chorus), breaking down complex multi-part projects into small and manageable tasks.”
Straz’s community outreach programs, most notably our Field Trip series, are our way of creating those opportunities for children who have little if any exposure to the arts a chance to experience a musical, or a musical or dance performance. Our scholarship programs help bridge the financial gap for talented students from lower-income households.
Registration for Patel’s music summer camps, as well as those for dance and theater, is going on now. See what we’ve got planned for summer at our open houses, Saturday, March 29 from 8-9 a.m., and Thursday, May 22, from 5-6 p.m.
The work of our dedicated staff at Patel, as well as that done by organizations such as Keep Music Alive, help spread the joy and benefits of the arts, giving youngsters a gift that can be nurtured and cherished all through their lives.