Miami Music Project Inc

MIAMI MUSIC PROJECT'S MISSION IS TO USE MUSIC AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION, EMPOWERING CHILDREN TO ACQUIRE VALUES AND ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL, POSITIVELY AFFECTING THEIR SOCIETY THROUGH THE STUDY AND PERFORMANCE OF MUSIC. CHILDREN FROM MIAMI'S MOST AT-RISK DEMOGRAPHICS NEED SAFE ENVIRONMENTS TO FORM MEANINGFUL FRIENDSHIPS WHILE LEARNING IMPORTANT SKILLS TO BECOME CONTRIBUTING CITIZENS. STUDENTS HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND QUALITY ARTS EDUCATION. MIAMI'S VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES MUST OVERCOME SIGNIFICANT ODDS SUCH AS PARENTS WORKING MULTIPLE JOBS, OR NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD TUITION OR PURCHASE NECESSARY MATERIALS TO PARTICIPATE AND ACCESS THESE LIFE-CHANGING OPPORTUNITIES. THE COMMUNITIES WHERE MIAMI MUSIC PROJECT OPERATES - LIBERTY CITY, LITTLE HAITI, LITTLE HAVANA, MIAMI SPRINGS, AND MIAMI GARDENS - ARE PARTICULARLY UNDER-RESOURCED.

MIAMI MUSIC PROJECT'S MISSION IS TO USE MUSIC AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION, EMPOWERING CHILDREN TO ACQUIRE VALUES AND ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL, POSITIVELY AFFECTING THEIR SOCIETY THROUGH THE STUDY AND PERFORMANCE OF MUSIC. CHILDREN FROM MIAMI'S MOST AT-RISK DEMOGRAPHICS NEED SAFE ENVIRONMENTS TO FORM MEANINGFUL FRIENDSHIPS WHILE LEARNING IMPORTANT SKILLS TO BECOME CONTRIBUTING CITIZENS. STUDENTS HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND QUALITY ARTS EDUCATION. MIAMI'S VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES MUST OVERCOME SIGNIFICANT ODDS SUCH AS PARENTS WORKING MULTIPLE JOBS, OR NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD TUITION OR PURCHASE NECESSARY MATERIALS TO PARTICIPATE AND ACCESS THESE LIFE-CHANGING OPPORTUNITIES. THE COMMUNITIES WHERE MIAMI MUSIC PROJECT OPERATES - LIBERTY CITY, LITTLE HAITI, LITTLE HAVANA, MIAMI SPRINGS, AND MIAMI GARDENS - ARE PARTICULARLY UNDER-RESOURCED. MMP HELPS TO REVERSE THESE TRENDS. WE SERVE STUDENTS FROM COMMUNITIES WITH UNTAPPED POTENTIAL, GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITIES NECESSARY TO BECOME EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS, COLLEGE GRADUATES, AND OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTORS TO SOCIETY. THIS YEAR, OUR STUDENTS WERE: "43% BLACK NON-HISPANIC "50% HISPANIC "7% WHITE AND OTHER "59% FEMALE "41% MALE "79% OF STUDENTS COME FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES MIAMI MUSIC PROJECT IS DEDICATED TO REACHING AT-RISK COMMUNITIES WITH HIGH-QUALITY MUSIC EDUCATION DESIGNED TO INCREASE POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND KINDLE THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL ARTISTS, STUDENTS, CITIZENS, AND LEADERS. MIAMI MUSIC PROJECT'S PROGRAMS ARE ALL TUITION-FREE AND ACCEPT STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF MUSICAL BACKGROUND. INSTRUMENTS, CLASSES, AND BUSING ARE PROVIDED COMPLETELY FREE-OF-CHARGE. ALL CHILDREN WITH INTEREST ARE WELCOMED INTO THE PROGRAM. THIS YEAR, WE PROVIDED PROGRAMMING ACROSS FIVE COMMUNITY CHAPTERS SERVING CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH TWO HOURS OF INTENSE MUSICAL INSTRUCTION DAILY ON FIVE LEVELS OF ADVANCEMENT. STUDENTS LEARNED HIGH-QUALITY ORCHESTRA REPERTOIRE SHOWCASED DURING MULTIPLE PERFORMANCES YEAR-ROUND, AT MAJOR PERFORMING ARTS VENUES THROUGHOUT MIAMI-DADE COUNTY. IN MARCH 2020, MIAMI MUSIC PROJECT PIVOTED TO A FULLY VIRTUAL MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAM DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THROUGH THIS ONLINE PROGRAMMING, WE PROVIDED 300 CLASSES EVERY WEEK TO OUR HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS, WITH EACH OF THEM RECEIVING A TOTAL OF 8 HOURS OF INDIVIDUAL, SMALL GROUP, AND LARGE GROUP ACADEMIC AND PERFORMANCE INSTRUCTION PER WEEK. IN ADDITION, MMP STAFF BECAME ESSENTIAL ADVOCATES AND SUPPORTERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES BY: 1.PROVIDING AND DELIVERING SUPPLIES TO THE FAMILIES WE SERVE, INCLUDING FREE MEALS, 2.CONNECTING FAMILIES WITH HEALTH AND NUTRITION RESOURCES, AND 3.MAKING SURE TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS WERE PROVIDED AND FUNCTIONAL TO FAMILIES SO THEY COULD EFFECTIVELY ACCESS AND ENGAGE IN SCHOOLWORK. BEGINNING WITH SELECT EVENTS IN SPRING 2021, MIAMI MUSIC PROJECT RESUMED IN-PERSON ACTIVITIES. BY JUNE 2021, WE WERE OPERATING FULLY IN-PERSON, FOLLOWING STATE AND LOCAL COVID-19 GUIDELINES WITH 120 STUDENTS AT OUR ANNUAL SUMMER CAMP. FULL AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMMATIC OPERATIONS AND LIVE PERFORMANCES HAVE SUCCESSFULLY RESUMED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE 2021-2022 ACADEMIC YEAR. INDEPENDENT RESEARCH HAS SHOWN HOW MUCH MMP'S INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING CAN TRANSFORM A CHILD'S LIFE. OUR EL SISTEMA-INSPIRED MUSIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM SERVES AS A VEHICLE FOR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL TRANSFORMATION. MMP STUDENTS SHOWED: "IMPROVEMENT ACROSS COMPETENCE, CONFIDENCE, CHARACTER, CONNECTION AND CARING, "BETTER PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT, EXPERIENCING A REDUCTION IN SOCIAL ANXIETY AND PROBLEMS WITH PEERS, "IMPROVED EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING, SPECIFICALLY WORKING MEMORY, "SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENTS IN TRAITS SUCH AS GRIT, GOAL-DIRECTED HOPE AND EMPATHY, AND "IMPROVEMENTS IN YOUTH SKILLS, ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS OVER THE COURSE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. MIAMI MUSIC PROJECT WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THIS WHILE REMAINING FISCALLY SOUND AND RESPONSIBLE. ALL ACTIVITIES WERE FULLY FUNDED THANKS TO GENEROUS DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS, FOUNDATIONS, AND GOVERNMENT CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS.