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WORCESTER, Mass. – The Worcester Chamber Music Society has received a $25,000 grant from Carnegie Hall that will go towards a program offering free music lessons to kids.
The Neighborhood Strings Initiative is one of just 23 programs across the country to be selected for Carnegie Hall’s PlayUSA partnership. For over a decade, the program has brought the power of music to kids who otherwise may not have been able to afford the experience.
When program director Ariana Falk helped launch Neighborhood Strings back in 2012, it started with ten students, ten instruments and a determination to grow.
“We’ve always had lots of kids who wanted to participate. Recruiting isn’t a problem,” Falk said. “Kids love playing music, they love the creativity of it and they love the social part of it. We could be ten times as big and finding kids who want to do it.”
There are now 80 students involved with Neighborhood Strings, ranging from second grade to high school seniors. For some families, it’s difficult to find affordable after-school activities, and the program has proven to be a much-needed outlet.
“We have kids from 20 to 25 different countries involved in the program,” Falk said. “If you go and play a concert in a school, that’s great. You might inspire kids for one day. But how can you make a deeper connection? Something where you really get to know people and families and have that music really become a central space in their lives?”
Over the years, Falk and her colleagues have also seen the program’s benefits for students extend well beyond their weekly lessons.
“It’s not only a chance to explore their creativity, it’s also a chance to just have a group of inspiring friends outside of school and to connect with adults, which isn’t always so easy to do either.”
In order to keep the Neighborhood Strings Initiative strumming, the Worcester Chamber Music Society has had to be aggressive in its pursuit of grant money. The latest grant from Carnegie hall will also provide site visits and guidance from a world-class organization.
“Yes, it’s about the money and we’re always trying to raise money, but it’s also about national visibility, getting the word out about what we’re doing in Worcester, which we really think is unique,” Falk said. “Getting on a national stage with other programs doing other similar kinds of work.”
As part of the PlayUSA grant, Falk and other instructors will receive additional training and professional development. Neighborhood Strings has also recently received a funding boost from the National Endowment for the Arts.
