Berklee City Music

	Thanks to your support, six high school students and City Music graduates received full-four year tuition scholarships to attend Berklee College of Music last past year. From left to right: Shannon McField, Jonathan Adam Jamal Lewis, Leslie Echevarria, President Roger H. Brown, Abraham Olivo, Ashley Rodriguez, and Trevor T

Berklee City Music provides economically disadvantaged students in urban areas with the opportunity to learn basic musical skills and develop their love of music. It also provides guidance and support for those seeking to further their musical talents and education. Far too many at-risk youth lack the fundamental skills needed to pursue a music education at the college level. Berklee City Music is a proactive response to ameliorate this situation.

This past year, Berklee provided scholarships for approximately 50 students from urban areas to attend the Five-Week Summer Performance Program. The students take private lessons, instrumental labs, and music theory courses. They learn about careers in music; and perform in jazz, pop, gospel or rock ensembles. At the end of the summer, the students perform in a public concert. Eight graduating seniors were awarded four-year full-tuition scholarships to attend Berklee College of Music.

Committing educational resources where they are most needed is an effective strategy to prevent our youth from dropping out of high school and prematurely limiting their educational, career and life options. Empowering our youth by enhancing their self-esteem and developing real skills is a cost-effective way of reaching those who have the fewest resources available to them.

An additional component of Berklee City Music is the Mentoring Program which matches middle and high school students with Berklee faculty, staff, and upper semester students. The mentoring program provides students with a consistent, one-on-one opportunity to practice and develop their musical skills while receiving the encouragement they need to stay in school.

Thirdly, the City Music Saturday and After-School program is a year-round, weekly classroom musical training and performance program. The goal of City Music Saturday is to reach out to at-risk young people interested in music and to provide a challenging music education curriculum throughout the school year geared towards putting them on par with students from affluent school districts with strong music programs.

Berklee City Music has generated significant private support and demonstrated that the program works. In addition to Berklee's investment in the program, private funding from individuals, foundations and corporations support this initiative. All proceeds from our Encore Gala support Berklee City Music.

Please contact Beverly Tryon at (617) 747-2660 if you have any questions.