Music Conservatory Of Westchester

TO PROVIDE THE EXTRAORDINARY BENEFITS OF MUSIC TO ALL IN OUR COMMUNITY.

MUSIC INSTRUCTIONIN 1929, FACED WITH GROWING ECONOMIC COLLAPSE, A GROUP OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY COMMUNITY LEADERS LAUNCHED THE MUSIC CONSERVATORY OF WESTCHESTER (MCW) AND DEDICATED THEMSELVES TO SHARING THE GIFT OF MUSIC EDUCATION WITH A WORLD THAT NEEDED RESPITE. THE CONSERVATORY CREATED SCHOLARSHIPS SO EVERYONE WHO WANTED TO COULD BENEFIT FROM MASTER-LEVEL INSTRUCTION AND INSPIRATION (PABLO CASALS WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS). THEN, AS NOW, MCW CARRIES OUT ITS MISSION TO PROVIDE THE EXTRAORDINARY BENEFITS OF MUSIC TO ALL IN OUR COMMUNITY. IN MARCH, 2020, FACED WITH A WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC THAT BROUGHT EVERYONE'S LIVES TO A HALT, THE CONSERVATORY QUICKLY RESPONDED BY TRANSITIONING TO ONLINE CLASSES AND PROGRAMS - AND DISCOVERED THAT VIRTUAL LEARNING HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REACH EVEN MORE STUDENTS THAN EVER BEFORE, INCLUDING THOSE WHO ARE HOMEBOUND, DO NOT HAVE CONSISTENT ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION, OR LIVE OUTSIDE OF CONVENIENT COMMUTING DISTANCE. WHILE THE PANDEMIC IMPACTED OUR ENROLLMENT, WHICH FELL FROM 800 STUDENTS IN FY2020 TO 647 IN FY2021, WE CONTINUE TO OFFER BOTH VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON PROGRAMS AND ARE CONFIDENT OF RESTORING NORMAL ENROLLMENT NUMBERS AND BEYOND OVER THE NEXT 24 MONTHS. WE MAKE MUSIC EDUCATION AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE FROM PRE-KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SENIOR CITIZENS AND WORK TIRELESSLY TO PROVIDE NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIP ASSISTANCE FOR EVERY STUDENT WHO WANTS TO LEARN AT MCW. OUR ESTEEMED FACULTY IS COMPRISED OF 70 PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS AND 10 MUSIC THERAPISTS. OUR MUSIC INSTRUCTION PROGRAM PROVIDES ONE-ON-ONE INSTRUMENTAL AND VOCAL LESSONS, PERFORMING ENSEMBLES, THEORY, COMPOSITION, SUZUKI AND EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASSES, SUMMER PROGRAMS, LIFELONG LEARNING FOR ADULTS, AND FREE COMMUNITY PERFORMANCES. IN 2022 WE COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION OF FIVE IMPORTANT NEW TEACHING STUDIOS, INCLUDING AN AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING STUDIO AND DIGITAL PIANO LAB WHICH NOW HOUSE TECHNOLOGY-BASED MUSIC PROGRAMS. THE CONSERVATORY IS THE VERY FIRST ORGANIZATION IN THE WESTCHESTER REGION TO OFFER A PRECOLLEGE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN RECORDING ENGINEERING AND MUSIC PRODUCTION. THE RECORDING STUDIO IS NETWORKED TO THE SCHOOL'S RECITAL HALL TO FACILITATE HIGH QUALITY RECORDINGS OF OUR STUDENT AND FACULTY PERFORMANCES. WE WILL ALSO OFFER LIVE-STREAMED PERFORMANCES, WORKSHOPS AND OTHER PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS. THE NEW FACILITIES OPENED IN SEPTEMBER, 2022. THE PROJECT WAS SUPPORTED BY A NEW YORK STATE REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT AND PRIVATE DONATIONS.THE CONSERVATORY IS ONE OF ONLY 16 COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE TO HAVE EARNED ACCREDITATION FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF MUSIC. OUR ALUMNI INCLUDE PROFESSORS AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY AND MIT, A MUSIC TEACHER IN ROCHESTER NY, A LOCAL PEDIATRICIAN, SOLO FLUTIST MINDY KAUFMAN (NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC), INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED PIANISTS WILLIAM WOLFRAM AND GARRICK OHLSSON, MILWAUKIE SYMPHONY CONDUCTOR KEN-DAVID MASUR, AND THOUSANDS OF ALUMNI IN COUNTLESS PROFESSIONS RIGHT HERE IN WESTCHESTER AND ALL AROUND THE NATION.

OUTREACH PROGRAMTHE CONSERVATORY'S MUSIC THERAPY INSTITUTE (MTI) WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1986 TO EXPAND ITS PROGRAMS TO INCLUDE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. TODAY THE PROGRAM SERVES 2,000 CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN OUTREACH PROGRAMS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 30 ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS, MEDICAL FACILITIES, SENIOR CARE CENTERS, AND SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES. MTI ALSO PROVIDES INDIVIDUAL MUSIC THERAPY AND ADAPTED INSTRUMENTAL INSTRUCTION ONSITE AT THE CONSERVATORY. THE PROGRAM HAS RECEIVED AWARDS FROM ARTS WESTCHESTER AND FROM THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS (ASCAP). IN 2013, MTI ESTABLISHED HEALING OUR HEROES, PROVIDING TUITION-FREE MUSIC THERAPY FOR U.S. MILITARY VETERANS DEALING WITH WAR-RELATED INJURIES. SERVING 15-20 VETERANS EACH YEAR, THE PROGRAM PROVIDES EACH VETERAN WITH TWO YEARS OF WEEKLY INDIVIDUAL MUSIC THERAPY SESSIONS, AS WELL AS WEEKLY DROP-IN GROUP SESSIONS. HEALING OUR HEROES HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AND SUPPORTED BY DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS, AND IS FEATURED IN A SOON-TO-BE-RELEASED DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT THE CHALLENGES FACED BY VETERANS DEALING WITH THE WOUNDS OF WAR AS THEY STRUGGLE TO READJUST TO CIVILIAN LIFE.

PERFORMANCESPERFORMANCE IS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF THE CONSERVATORY'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. STUDENT AND FACULTY PERFORMANCES TAKE PLACE AT THE CONSERVATORY AND IN THE COMMUNITY. STUDENTS HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO PERFORM AS SOLOISTS, AND IN PERFORMING ENSEMBLES. FACULTY CONCERTS OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR HIGH LEVEL PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCES IN COMFORTABLE, FAMILIAR LOCATIONS. ALL CONCERTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, TAKING PLACE IN THE CONSERVATORY'S RECITAL HALL AS WELL AS IN LOCAL LIBRARIES, COMMUNITY CENTERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR VENUES. MASTER CLASSES ARE ALSO SCHEDULED AT THE CONSERVATORY IN WHICH SELECTED STUDENTS ARE COACHED BY GUEST ARTIST-TEACHERS. IN FY2022, WE WERE ABLE TO RESUME LIVE PERFORMANCES IN THE SCHOOL'S RECITAL HALL, WITH COVID SAFETY ACCOMMODATIONS THAT INCLUDED MANDATORY MASKING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING. WE ALSO CONTINUED TO OFFER SOME VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES, SOME PRERECORDED AND OTHERS PERFORMED LIVE ON ZOOM.