Our Work in the Community

As an organization committed to the accessibility of quality music performances and educational opportunities, the Music School of the Rhode Island Philharmonic has responded to the recent decrease in in-school music classes by partnering with schools, after-school programs and communities across the state to ensure that youth are provided with free, hands-on music education.  Through these programs, youth with little or no previous access to music education are taught a wide variety of subjects, ranging from classical violin to hip hop, from chorus to Latin percussion.  Taught by professional and talented musicians and songwriters, the youth in these programs are offered the experience of expressing themselves and succeeding in new and exciting ways.  Many of the students that we work with in our community parterships programs are minority or at-risk youth living below the poverty line.  Music not only gives these youth the opportunity to participate in the creation of art, but also a positiive alternative to other, more harmful influences.  The Music School honors our partners as champions who work hard to better the lives of youth our communities.

Though the Music School of the Rhode Island Philharmonic offers free music instruction to youth that may otherwise go without, we in no way intend for our programs to replace regular in-school music programming.  We feel very strongly that music schould be offered in every school, elementary through secondary, and that our programs should only be seen as supplements to this standard curriculum.  If your child's school does not currently offer music classes, please contact your local school department to ask that music be reinstated in your child's curriculum..