SUNSET PARK SCHOOL OF MUSIC INC

Free Community concert Series. Serving 3,000 people each year. The school invites a diverse group of professional musicians and the ensembles in residence to perform once-a-month free concerts. We select the artists based previous experience hearing and seeing the artists, professional relationships and collaborations, and recommendations from the faculty, students/parents, and community organizations. Some of the award-winning artists that have performed include Thomas Piercy (www.thomaspiercy.com); Judith Olson; Noritaka Ito; the Milonga Trio; Vilian Ivantchev; Intrepid Quintet; Lost Dog Ensemble; Pablo Aslan (Latin Grammy Nominee); Fernando Otero (Latin Grammy Winner); Yohmei Blasdel (world-renowned shakuhachi player); Yihan Chen (award-winning Chinese composer/pianist). These concerts are held at the music school and the Community Center of the MarienHeim Center in Sunset Park. Students, families, and the general public are invited to the concerts. We notify local schools, local churches, and local community organizations in the hope that they will let their communities know about and attend the concerts. The concerts range in style from classical, jazz and different ethnic styles that represent the native countries of our largely recent- immigrant community. We believe it to be greatly important for the community to see what we do as musicians in bringing many different styles of music to the community. The concerts are held once a month throughout the school year. They generally last for one hour. The Sunset Park area is a low-income area with many recent immigrants from Central America and China. Many of the people in the community would not otherwise be able to afford to go to professional music events.

Free Summer Music Program. Serving 40 people directly. 300 indirectly. A free summer program for children in grades 3 to 7. Any children in the neighborhood were welcome to attend. No previous enrollment as a student in the school was required. We offered an Open-Door policy so students may come and go depending on their schedule and their parents' summer schedule. Student attendance varied from 10-40 students per day. The classes were held at the music school and in the community center and gym of Sunset Park's Marien-Heim Center. The classes were held for four hours (9am-1pm), five days a week (MondayFriday), for five weeks in the summer. Instruction was provided on music instruments as well as music-related activities. Students were introduced to instrumental music through demonstration of woodwinds, strings, piano, and guitar. The demonstrations were done by professional performers/teachers and often included hands-on aspect so the students were able to hold and sometimes play the instruments. Teachers included the Executive Director, current faculty of the school and teaching artists/performers from NYC. Each student was given a recorder to learn and play. Many of these students continued to private instruction on an instrument of their choice in the fall. There were performances by students, faculty and guest artists. The performances by faculty and guest artists often included participation from the students. We try to not a have "wall" between the students and faculty/guest artists. Hopeful Impact: Many of the students in the Sunset Park community are unable to afford to go to a summer program with the usual high fees. Our program allowed students in Sunset Park to have musical activities during their summer break.