Teaching gives kids access to their talent; it releases potential.

For many young people, finding those skills inside themselves is hard. It takes time, energy and self- motivation. And repetition. Those are the fundamental things we teach. Our instructors are not just saying, “Here’s how to play an instrument.” More than anything else, we’re giving students the tools to release their very own inner pianist, cellist, trumpeter, drummer, and singer.

When you think about it that way, you see that our teachers’ role is bigger and more complex than it might appear. They’re mentors in the truest sense of the word, guiding our students down the miraculous and often arduous path to self-discovery. What a wonderful gift to give another person! And lucky for us, it’s a gift that keeps on giving, as our students share their music with the world by performing and maybe becoming teachers themselves one day. Some of them have even come back here to teach! That surely ranks among the most satisfying outcomes of any mentorship. It’s also a measure of the School’s potential, and just like our students, we rely on the time, energy and self- motivation of everyone involved with the Joy of Music School to draw it out.

Thank you, volunteer teachers. Thank you, sponsors, donors, and board members. We couldn’t do it without you.

Francis Graffeo

Executive Director