The benefits of music education are too important to be reserved only for those who can afford them. It is this belief that drives the D’Addario Foundation to commit its support to programs that provide free musical instrument instruction to their communities.
The foundation supports over 40 organizations that provide free music instruction, and the list is growing. The organizations range widely in curricula, instrument and location but they are unified by a central idea: that musical instrument instruction can have a transformative effect on people’s lives, especially for those who may not have the access or resources typically required to attain it.
One of these organizations is the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. Founded by actor Paul Newman, the camp runs on the premise that every child who has a serious medical condition should have the opportunity to enjoy the spirit and friendships of the camp experience. The D’Addario Foundation is funding the launch of the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp’s summer 2013 music instruction program.
Other programs providing free musical instrument instruction include Latino Arts, Inc. in Milwaukee, the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and Rosie’s House, a free music academy for children in inner city Phoenix.
The D’Addario Foundation also commits support to organizations that teach the El Sistema method of music education. El Sistema programs offer free music education to children and teens who cannot otherwise afford them. The People’s Music School in Chicago, IL, is one such organization. After providing free music education for the purpose of social transformation for over three decades, the school began teaching El Sistema five years ago with dramatic effects. “As a result of participation in our program, our kids – many of whom rarely leave their neighborhoods – have performed at Chicago’s prestigious music venues and traveled the world,” remarked the school’s executive director, Bob Fiedler. “This program broadens horizons, and we couldn’t do it without the enthusiastic support of the D'Addario Foundation.”
The El Sistema methodology, which was founded in Venezuela in 1975, is now used to provide free music education to hundreds of thousands of children worldwide each year.
“The D’Addario Foundation is constantly working to support additional organizations that provide free musical instrument instruction to their communities,” adds D’Addario Foundation Director, Suzanne D’Addario Brouder.
Additional information on the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and El Sistema can be found at www.holeinthewallgang.org and www.elsistemausa.org respectively. For more information about the D’Addario Foundation, please visit www.daddariofoundation.org.
