Three Inspiring Local Music Charities
In Philadelphia, many children live below the federal poverty line, and the arts program has been cut in some Philadelphia schools due to lack of funding. Below is a list of three local music-based charitable organizations that have made real differences in the local and national communities. Two of these organizations provide children with the resources they need to be able to learn and play musical instruments. The third organization is a demonstration of the healing power of music and an opportunity for musicians to make a positive change in the lives of people who have been affected by illness.
Along with an overview of the mission and accomplishments of these organizations, information is provided on how you can get involved in making the world a richer and more musical place. Have a musical instrument or CD you’re not using any more? Donate it. Interested in a teaching, performing or volunteer opportunity? Get involved. Organizing an event? Partner up with one of these organizations to make it a benefit.
- Musicopia is a music-based nonprofit organization that provides assistance in musical education and performance opportunities in areas where arts and music programs are cancelled in public schools. Their programs inspire a love of and knowledge of great music, appreciation for cultural diversity and the value of musical discipline. Musicopia partners with many public schools in the area and puts together workshops, assemblies, residencies and in-school concerts. They build communities where the students have the opportunity to learn to play the musical instrument they are interested in. Their programs, such as the Musicopia String Quartet or Drum Line, are set up to benefit Philadelphia’s underserved communities.
- Get Involved! There are many ways to get involved; recently a local salon (Blue Hair Salon) offered a promotion for free haircuts for musicians while raising money for Musicopia. Musicopia is seeking musical instruments, as well as monetary donations, so if you have an instrument you are not using, get in touch.
- Play On, Philly uses music education to bring about social change. They seek to enrich to lives of Philadelphia children by providing high quality daily music education to children who may otherwise not receive it. The organization was started in 2011 at the Saint Frances de Sales School in West Philadelphia and has been steadily expanding ever since. This is an intense program that requires at least 2 hours of study each weekday. Some of the programs offered include group orchestral instruction, private musical instruction, vocal coaching and chorus practice, trips to musical events and exposure to world-renowned ensembles and artists. Play On, Philly attempts to accept as many students as possible into the program. Every student enrolled received a full scholarship, which covers the cost of instruction as well as all instruments and supplies. Auditions are not required to be accepted into the program. They focus on ensemble playing together, and offer many extraordinary performance opportunities at venues, including the Kimmel Center, Please Touch Museum, and World Café Live.
- Get Involved! Play On, Philly is always seeking donations of musical instruments or monetary value. They also offer paid teaching positions, internships and volunteer opportunities.
- Studies have shown that live music can reduce the anxiety and stress level of hospital patients. Musicians on Call is a program organized through local University of Pennsylvania radio station WXPN, whose mission is to bring back the joy and hope that can often fade away in hospital situations. They bring live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in hospitals and other healthcare facilities in Pennsylvania, New York, and many other states. Their programs include the Bedside Music Program, which brings live, in-room performances to patients undergoing treatment. All of the participating musicians volunteer their time. Other programs offered are the Music Pharmacy, which provides hospital patients with CD libraries and players, and the Project Playback program, which offers patients special software to compose, record, and produce their own music, as well as professional volunteers to provide guidance in writing and recording.
- Get Involved! Musicians on Call is always seeking volunteers. If you are a musician you can apply to be a performer, and they also seek volunteer guides who escort the musicians and act as a liaison. They are seeking CD donations to add to their Music Pharmacy collection, and there are a number of ways to donate financially, such as sponsoring a hospital room or purchasing Musicians on Call merchandise. Ask your employer about donations, as many companies will offer matching gifts for donations to Musicians on Call.