Lonsdale Elementary School, located in the same neighborhood as the Joy of Music School, is not short on challenges. It was one of Knox County’s two poorest performers for “Achievement” in the 2012 State Report Card Grades. Yet at the same time, its “Value- Added” score—a measure of the opportunities a school offers children—was very strong. The Joy of Music School is part of the “Valued-Added” success story at Lonsdale. We’re working with the national organization Project GRAD, a public schools/private sector partnership promoting national education reform, to offer after-school music classes once a week to Lonsdale kids. “We want a sustainable, quality program in music,” says Drema Bowers, Director of Social Services for Knoxville’s Project GRAD. “This program is not permanently funded, and since Joy of Music offers their services free of charge, and has a strong history and reputation for quality outreach, this presents the perfect opportunity for sustaining quality and affordability, even if future funding drops off.” There are 99 students enrolled in the Lonsdale after-school program, and dozens of them are already enjoying music lessons with the Joy of Music School’s Will Carter. Beyond the music, Project GRAD’s benefits include other forms of artistic and cultural enrichment, health and wellness guidance, as well as academic support. Moreover, parents, grandparents and other family members are encouraged to have dinner together at the school one night a week, an obvious step toward transforming children, families, households and neighborhoods. “We are a proud partner in Project GRAD’s work at Lonsdale,” says Frank Graffeo, executive director of the Joy of Music School “We look forward to playing a role in transforming lives through the many developmental benefits of elementary music education.”

See more articles from the April 2013 newsletter. Click here.