Bman's Blues Report: Musicians Aid Society of NY

Friday, January 6, 2012

Musicians Aid Society of NY

Thanks to the generous support
of the Musicians' Aid Society of New York,
The Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center
and now St. Paul's Resurrection Presbyterian Church are able to give
piano lessons to children.

Your generous tax deductible donation in support of musicians
in New York is greatly appreciated.

The Musician's Aid Society of New York is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which strives to provide the resources necessary for the artistic and musical growth of deserving musicians in the New York metropolitan area. MASNY works to promote musical education and the artistic development of these meritorious musicians.

Part of MASNY's beauty is in its dynamic community of musicians and supporters who recognize the value of music in childhood development and the rich potential in each beneficiary. Please help us enrich lives through music and support the transformative power of what MASNY does.

The Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center is located in the Crotona section of the Bronx which is part of the poorest urban congressional district in the country. All the families in our program receive public assistance. The Bronx has the highest number of underperforming students in the school system and very few schools provide arts during the school day. Of the children born this year in our community, half of them will have diabetes in their lifetime and over 60% of adults in the Bronx are overweight or obese. It is a challenge to grow up in Crotona. Our program provides a healthy, hot meal, tutoring, fitness and arts activities to 60 children. We believe that our program can make a critical difference in the lives of the families that we serve. We are delighted to be able to add piano classes to the options that children have.

The piano classes started on September 28, 2010. Greg Sulzer, the musician, comes to the Center every Tuesday and gives lessons to seven children for 30 minutes each from 4:00pm to 7:30pm. Greg is an experienced teacher who is able to engage the children on a very basic level and help them feel like they can become accomplished musicians. His attention and careful instruction has really paid off. Already children are playing songs, identifying notes, learning to read music and practicing correct form for playing the piano. In just a month, the children have shown improvement and they are the envy of their peers. When we started children were wary of the opportunity, now children stop me in the hall to ask if they can take the lessons.

We asked some of the piano students what they think of the lessons and this is what they said:

"I like the piano classes because I like music and songs.
The teacher helps me to learn songs that I can practice at my Nana's house."
- Isacc Walker, 8 years old

"Because of the piano lessons, I know the middle C now and I can play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
If I can keep taking lessons I can be a piano player."
- Kimberly Ledron, 8 years old.

"The lessons are fun. Greg lets me practice the first time and then he plays with me the second time.
I am going to get an advanced book so I can learn more songs."
- Nicholas Salas, 11 years old.