KidZNotes, a free music-education program for students from low-income public schools in Durham, North Carolina, has announced plans to expand in its third year to provide classical-music instruction to 200 students. The program provides ten hours of free music instruction weekly and group instruction on Saturdays to children from four low-income schools in East Durham. The El Sistema-inspired education program was founded in 2010-11 by Katie Wyatt, who serves as executive director. In its first year the program served 60 students, expanding to 110 students during the 2011-12 school year. The recent program expansion comes as a result of grants and other support from Duke University, the Mead Family Foundation, the D’Addario Music Foundation, the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, and WCPE: Education Fund. KidZNotes’ stated mission is to “improve children’s musical performance, to develop values that contribute to success at school and in society, and to promote children’s and families’ engagement in program and community activities.”
Posted June 28, 2012
