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Music and Creative Arts

The Salvation Army is the largest provider of music education in the country outside of the public school system, providing approximately 50,000 music lessons each year in the Greater New York City area, an increasingly important service as many school districts cut or reduce arts education budgets, especially in the marginalized communities where our centers are located.

Music lessons are taught at the 38 local Salvation Army community center, strategically placed in the neighborhoods with greatest need. As part of comprehensive programming, music teachers come to the community center to teach children by their proficiency level, encouraging dedication to their craft, discipline in practice, and working together with their bandmates. Children take lessons in music theory, the brass or percussion instrument of their choice, and vocals.

With cost being a significant, often unsurpassable, obstacle to low-income families providing their children with music education, The Salvation Army loans children the instrument of their choice at no cost, making the entire educational experience completely free. As part of comprehensive children’s programming, many of the children stay at the community center all afternoon, providing supervision and a safe, nurturing environment, access to other after-school supports such as homework help and recreational activities, and many receive meals or snacks at the community center while they are there, taking another burden off a family’s tight budget.

As children progress, they have the opportunity to move up to more intensive music education, including weeks of music camp, intensive conservatory camp, and an annual ‘Star Search’ competition against children from other Salvation Army centers across the East Coast.

If interested in more information about our music and creative arts program, please email Andrew Boynton at Andrew.boynton@use.salvationarmy.org or fill out the form below.