Teens Find Inspiration and Passion for Music Through Music Will Music Program
Highschool student Karol Krynski moves from Poland to the United States, speaking a limited amount of English. Edward Espinosa, who hails from the Dominican Republic, finds himself in a similar situation.
After just two years in the Music Will music program at Grover Cleveland High School, Edward and Karol are now proficient musicians, established songwriters, and comfortable collaborating with their peers and performing in front of large crowds.
Edward and Karol are connected to each other and their classmates through the universal language of music.
“The people around us inspire me,” Edward says. “We want to show them something that will make them proud of us.”
“We feel happy that we can perform and inspire people,” says Karol.
Not only has Music Will helped Edward and Karol become confident performers and creative composers, but it has also helped shape their attitudes to be open to being inspired, and driven to inspire others.
Unfortunately, lack of funding for arts and music programs is a national epidemic, it is becoming more and more difficult for these programs to survive, especially in the inner city public schools that educate children that need these classes the most.
Music Will has created opportunities for more than 235,000 children to learn to play a musical instrument, to grow their confidence, and to explore their creative sides at no cost to them, their parents or their schools.
When Edward moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic two years ago, he never imagined having the opportunity to experience music in a classroom with such strong support and collaboration.
“Music changes how you look at the world,” Edward explains. “Music makes us all come together … like a family.”
Donations go not just toward putting instruments into kids’ hands, but also toward training, equipping and empowering dedicated public school teachers to educate and inspire their students using Music Will’s unique and engaging methodology.
“Without my teacher, Mr. Green, I would never do music,” Karol says. “He gave us the knowledge … for us to feel good here in this world. It makes us all feeling like a whole.”
And while music is an essential ingredient to a well-rounded education, it is also a gift that will positively impact these kids for the rest of their lives.
“I know I can do great things if I keep going, so that’s what I want to do,” says Edward. “I want to give music to everyone in different ways.”
“I want to go to college for music,” says Karol. “That’s how I’m inspired.”
The American Music Conference reports that music makers are more likely to go onto college than students that do not play a musical instrument. In fact, they are 52% more likely to attend college.
With the generous support of our donors, Music Will will be able to train more teachers, donate more instruments, and inspire more kids to go onto college.
Thank you for your consideration in helping Music Will ensure that every child has the right to rock!