Skip to main content

Good for Chicago: Free music school for kids

At M.H. Wasserman, P.C., music is a big part of our team's lives. We enjoy concerts and festivals, and always play tunes in the office. Further, we believe there's a strong connection between school achievement and musical aptitude. Our team is quite pleased to support a charity that introduces music to Chicago's underserved kids while potentially building Chicago's music scene.

TPMS inspires young minds to experience the joy and benefits of music
For four years now, we’ve been running our Thanks to You program, where our residential clients can direct a portion of our fees to a charity on our curated list. This post is one of a series to tell our readers a little more about these organizations and why we chose them.

The People’s Music School (TPMS) is the first and only completely FREE music school in the country. Their founder, Rita Simo, a Julliard-trained pianist, started TPMS in 1976 with just $625, a donated piano, and the belief that all children should have access to music education—regardless of their socioeconomic status. 

Simo’s belief and hard work paid off. Today, TMSP annually serves 700 students from 45 different zip codes. Their students receive intensive instruction and participate in live performances across the city. Since 2015, they’ve more than doubled their student population, and aim to take in more students off their long waiting list.

TPMS students study a wide variety of instruments and voice, and they all perform with an ensemble—everything from a full orchestra or jazz band to new music and choir. Through their studies and the school’s strong culture of support, TPMS students find their voice and develop essential life skills. 

TMPS also creates high-impact partnerships with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Public Schools, Bottom Line college prep, Young Chicago Authors and The Obama Foundation. It’s good company to keep.

Not only is TPMS 100% free, it boasts a 100% high school graduation and college attendance rate. No wonder there’s a waiting list! And the best part, the kids get to perform all over the city. Please check the TMPS site to see a concert or make a donation (or both). Experience the power of music education first hand. 

Learn more:
The People’s Music School
Thanks to You
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PLM Title Shuttered

Title insurance is a critically important part of any real estate transaction; or at least it should be. The title company guaranties the "quality" of an owners interest in the property - that there aren't any (unknown) liens or defects. No buyer that I work for will purchase a property without it. Title insurance is only as good as the insurer. We want to know that the insurance company, like the Rock of Gibraltar , will always be there. We want to sleep easy at night, knowing that the client is protected. That said, it was a bit distressing to see that PLM Title Company shut its doors, without any forewarning last week. Worse still, this morning's news is that there is a criminal investigation underway - and that we do not yet know why. Old timers like me shudder with memories of the great Intercounty Title debacle five years ago. Here's to hoping that this one is nothing like that one. Set aside the problems involved trying to make a claim against a defun
6 comments
Read more

FHA Loans and Condo Sales - Is Relief on the Way?

By all outward appearances, state government in Illinois has ground to a complete halt, with all eyes focused on the Governor's "problem" and all the related fal - der -rah. Its hardly business as usual in Springfield, but not everything has ground to a halt. Several new bills have been introduced this week. That is not to say that they will be of benefit to we the people. Nonetheless, the cogs and gears are turning, and we are hoping for the best. One such proposal comes from Rep. LaShawn Ford of Chicago's west side, who is himself a real estate broker and entrepreneur . He is the author of House Bill 155 , introduced & referred to the Rules Committee Wednesday. It seeks to address one of the most common problems I am seeing in condominium resale transactions these days; the tension between many Declarations of Condominium and FHA loan guidelines. Many Condo Declarations provide Associations with a "right of first refusal," which basically allows t
3 comments
Read more

MAYOR DALEY PROPOSES TIF FINANCING FOR SOME DISTRESSED PROPERTIES

Lets see how City Council reacts on this one, but the Mayor introduced a pretty interesting little ordinance that might be a real boon to first time area home buyers willing to buy and rehabilitate some bank-owned properties. Progress Illinois reports that the mayor's bill, introduced on March 9: "seeks to tackle the growing problem of vacant homes that are blighting neighborhoods across Chicago, and in particular in minority communities. Called the Vacant Building TIF Purchase and Rehabilitation Ordinance, the  bill  (PDF) proposes allowing residents with a household income no greater than 100 percent of the regional median income to apply for a tax increment financing (TIF) grant that would pay for up to 25 percent of the cost of purchasing and rehabilitating an empty residential property. Single-family empty homes or units in condo and cooperative buildings with four units or fewer are eligible. The empty homes must be located in a TIF district and must be in need of
Post a Comment
Read more