Support music education in Athens: support HEART Music!

HEART Music is a nonprofit organization in Athens, GA, whose goal is to help the people of Athens have access to high quality musical instruction.

Our mission is to make the virtues of classical musical education accessible to underserved communities and to increase students’ chances for success in life through high quality musical instruction. In doing so, we will foster a positive, productive sense of togetherness among the people in our community, primarily through artistic collaboration.

We currently have 6 students who need help paying for private lessons starting in August. We are also in talks with the Clarke County School District to provide a music after school program at Gaines Elementary, which will run along side their usual after school program. In this program, elementary, middle and high school students will have the opportunity to take private lessons, collaborate with other students in small ensembles, and use space for personal practice time. Older students can also be paired with younger students in a mentor relationship.

Cost for this program will be $8,000-$12,000 per semester. Some of that cost will be covered by students participating in the program through a small weekly fee. Some of the cost will be covered by grants, yet to be applied for. Most importantly, though, we would be honored for costs to be shared by the people of Athens and beyond who care about supporting high quality education for kids.

With plenty of student interest and enough monetary support, we could provide a place of learning and personal achievement outside of the regular school classroom that would bolster student performance inside the academic classroom setting. Studying music makes accessible to the student a deeper layer of learning and growth, one that is more personal, individual, intrinsic: the potential for a student to be proud of her- or himself, to develop self-confidence, and to work toward a goal of personal excellence. These are the underlying skills that can pave the way for successful academic learning, creating healthy interpersonal relationships and expressing gratitude through support of and participation in community. HEART Music wants to nurture those potentials in students.

HEART Music = Helping East Athens Rise Through Music