Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

Please join us in wishing our high school graduating Youth Advocacy Council (YAC) members and Project 440 alumni a huge CONGRATULATIONS! Additionally, we are pleased to announce that Sebastian Gonzales is the 2022 recipient of a full-tuition scholarship from the Manhattan School of Music reserved annually for one Project 440 alumna/us. We are incredibly proud of our students, of all that they have accomplished, and can’t wait to follow what amazing things they will continue to do in their new communities. Continue reading to see what our students’ post-high school plans are!

Sebastian Gonzales is the second Project 440 alumnus to receive a full-tuition scholarship to Manhattan School of Music (MSM) where he will be studying oboe with Sherry Sylar, Associate Principal Oboe with the New York Philharmonic, this coming fall. Sebastian is a graduate of Central High School and has participated in Doing Good. Sebastian says of his experience with Project 440, “Participating in Doing Good taught me how to lead and work with others, which not only helped in school, but also in the realm of music. The skills I learned in Doing Good aided my sense of ensemble and leadership skills within orchestras and chamber groups. I also learned communication skills that helped me to start building a reputation as a reliable musician, which allowed me to start getting gigs this year. I would recommend Project 440 to every eligible student!”

Maria Karakousis is a pianist and harpist and one of three YAC students who graduated this month. Maria also served as YAC’s Youth Board Representative to Project 440’s Board of Directors this past year. A graduate of J.R. Masterman High School, she will be attending Princeton University in the fall where she intends to major in Molecular Biology. “My favorite P440 memories have centered around collaborating with YAC to bring the “Music in Color” program to aspiring musicians in Philadelphia and beyond.”

Ronnell Williams is a cellist and a graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts who served on YAC. Ronnell will be attending West Chester University where he hopes to major in Psychology. 

Ryan Williams is a violinist who served on YAC and also graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. Ryan will be attending West Chester University along with his twin brother Ronnell where he hopes to pursue his interest in Early Education.

Chanah Nielsen is a harpist who is a graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Girls. Chanah will be attending the Community College of Philadelphia with a focus on political science and international relations where she hopes to pursue her interest in relief work and foreign relations. “I will keep music involved in my life because it has helped me so much! I also want to continue my studies in Mandarin because I love the language and hope to incorporate it into my career.” 

We also wish Vicki Lin, Doing Good alumna, congratulations on her graduation from Horace Howard Furness High School.

To all of our Project 440’s 2022 graduates, thank you for being a part of the Project 440 family. We are so grateful for all that you have contributed to the Philadelphia community and hope that you will use the tools you have learned in our programs to find success in whatever you choose to pursue!

Congratulations to the Class of 2021!

Please join is in wishing a huge CONGRATULATIONS to the members of our Youth Advocacy Council (YAC) graduating in 2021! We are so proud of all our YAC students have accomplished and all they will accomplish in the years to come. Check out what our YAC students’ plans for this upcoming year!

Blue Shelton is the first student to be awarded the full-tuition scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music reserved for a Project 440 alum. Blue is a flutist, PMAY artist, and student of Project 440 Program Director Susanna Loewy.

Ariadna Rosas is also PMAY artist and was a guest speaker at our 2021 Finding Hope in Doing Good event. At the event, Ariadna shared, “Thanks to Project 440, I was able to transform into a better version of myself and prepare for a future I am excited about.” Ariadna will be attending Rowan University on a full scholarship.

Myles Bell is the creative mind that pitched YAC’s Music in Color discussion series focused on race, representation, and diversity in classical music. He is also a PMAY artist and will be studying biomedical engineering at Duke University this fall.

Kintan Silvany is an alumna of Doing Good and Instruments for Success, and serves as the Youth Board Representative to the Project 440 Board of Directors. She says her favorite memories with Project 440 were being nominated to the Board, joining Generation Music, and working with Cigus on college applications! Kintan will be attending Case Western Reserve University with a major in international studies and a minor in music at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Aviva Bock is a violinist who has participated in a myriad of Philadelphia programs including PMAY, Musicopia, and more. Her proudest moment working for YAC was reflecting on all the great work they did, especially the “Music in Color” series. She will be attending Eastman School of Music this fall.

Congratulations as well to Calistha Gunawan and Semaj Murphy, violinists and members of the class of 2021.

To our YAC graduates, and all our Project 440 students graduating this month, thank you for being a part of our Project 440 family. We are so grateful for all you have contributed to the Philadelphia community, and cannot wait to see your continued success in the years to come!

Youth Advocacy Council Announces 2021 "In Tune" Award Recipient

Each year, Project 440's Youth Advocacy Council recognizes the exceptional work of a Philadelphia-based music educator through their In Tune award. Recipients are chosen based on their devotion to students, innovation in teaching, and presence with students.

The 2021 awardee of the Youth Advocacy Council In Tune Award is Ashley Vines!

Vines began her musical studies as a student in the School District of Philadelphia and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance as a viola student of Renard Edwards. She was a recipient of the 2016-2017 IRIS Artist Fellowship, through which she performed in a chamber ensemble with a focus on community outreach and taught as a community engagement fellow through the Memphis Music Initiative.

YAC students share that Vines was chosen for her “dedication to music education, passion for helping students, and immense influence on many young musicians in the Philadelphia area.” The students said they believe leaders like Vines are “essential to [the flourishment] of classical music and education in Philadelphia.” Vines joined YAC for one of this year’s Music in Color series focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of classical music.

Currently, Ashley works as an instrumental music teacher in the School District of Philadelphia, a violin and viola teaching artist with Musicopia and the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra's Tune Up Philly program, and Director of String Orchestras for Temple University’s Community Music Scholars Program. 

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the amazing and inspiring students of the YAC,” Vines shared. “I deeply respect the work that these students are doing and I look forward to seeing all that they will accomplish in the future.”

YAC and the Project 440 team are so grateful for Vines’s work and impact on Philadelphia students. Please join us in congratulating her as the third winner of the annual In Tune Award!

Music in Color: Social Media as a Tool for Change

The following blog post was written by Youth Advocacy Council (YAC) member, Maria Karakousis. Join YAC for the next session of their Music in Color series on Monday, March 29th.

On the last Monday of January, I had the opportunity to speak with bass player Dalanie Harris, co-host of the renowned Classically Black podcast and co-founder of the growing International Society for Black Musicians, and oboe player Mekhi Gladden, alumnus of the Atlanta Symphony Talent Development Program and current student of the Curtis Institute of Music. I did not just run into such talent and inspiration on the street — I don’t have that kind of awesome luck. Actually, I met these two wonderful people at the culmination of a month of planning and organizing with my fellow members of the Project 440 Youth Advocacy Council (YAC): the January Music in Color event. Where else would I be able to not only listen to, but converse with, people like Dalanie and Mekhi?

Dalanie Harris & Katie Brown of Classically Black. Harris joined YAC for their January session of Music in Color.

For those readers who are not familiar with Music in Color, this new series hosted by YAC on the last Monday of every other month aims to share with Philadelphia-area youth the origins, struggles, and ultimate success of minority classical musicians who are using their talents to help create the positive change they want to see in their communities. Each session consists of a live conversation between all who attend, which always include several truly amazing professionals. Our past three conversations have centered around specific subjects, but the overarching take-away from each Music in Color Zoom call is that no matter your race or identity, you can succeed in classical music and use it to make a positive impact on the places and groups that need it.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “where words fail, music speaks?” Hans Christian Andersen’s quote couldn’t ring more true, but I hope he wouldn’t mind my narrowing it down: “where words fail, classical music speaks” for the sake of this piece. Classical music has always been a part of my life and has never failed to help me through rough times. I feel so blessed to have been able to continue playing Chopin on the piano and Dittersdorf on the harp (thanks to the generosity of The Glissando Program) through the social distancing mandated by a pandemic that took my grandfathers. Though we classical musicians find joy in bringing the work of dead people to life, the elephant is in the room: classical music itself is dying, starved of appreciation beyond its shrinking circle of enthusiasts. We are now faced with a crucial question: how do we keep alive what we love?

The answer, Dalanie and Mekhi agree, lies in the enormous power of social media to make what seems distant and unattainable accessible to people, especially youth, who otherwise feel they have no point of entry into a group or field. Specifically, as we discussed during January’s session, we need to make classical music more accessible to Black and Hispanic kids, and to cast light on the abundance of work by composers of color that has been kept mostly in the dark, if we hope for the rebound of classical music. In our time, harnessing social media’s ability to market and project underrepresented voices is the clearest pathway to accomplishing both of these goals.

Dalanie began work toward these goals with her Classically Black podcast, which presents classical music in a way that is by and for Black people. Though she started the podcast just under three years ago, she has already received confirmation that she is helping to bridge the gap between classical music and Black culture, bringing Black people into the world of classical music when “they may not necessarily have an entry point.” In talking to Music in Color attendees about how she uses her social platforms to showcase Black musical achievement and make Black musicians feel seen, she shared, “we’ve gotten a couple messages over the years saying, ‘You know, I really felt alone in classical music until you said X-Y-Z...’ that’s really affirming to hear that people feel that way listening to our show.” For Dalanie and Mekhi, social media is intuitively their tool to create and foster community. As Mekhi put it, “music is inherently social, so it makes sense that it passes so easily through social media.” Dalanie told us that this strong sense of community present across social media platforms is especially important when trying to “connect with each other because a lot of [minority] people may feel like they are the only one in classical music” and when uplifting and upholding the work of underrepresented composers.

According to Mekhi, the most important aspect of social media that has incredible potential to foster social change is that it begets “this constant flow of information that helps you expand your horizons.” In order to expose her audience to new Black players and composers, Dalanie explained, she herself has had to first seek out and expose herself to that because she’s “just a person in the classical music industry too” whose classical music education did not emphasize the work of Black musicians. “We all know that there’s plenty of music out there and we need to highlight key voices,” said Mekhi. Social media is the door to finding that music and those voices. That is why he has committed himself to live streaming recitals featuring pieces composed by friends or little-known composers and configuring his social media feeds to include more of the “music written by people who have had their voices stifled by the canon [of repertoire] and such that just needs to get performed.” The first step is getting those kinds of mostly unheard pieces written by underrepresented composers out there into the virtual human web. That will lead more people to perform it, which will lead more people to realize that there is so much beautiful music by minority composers that they are missing out on, and which we should emphasize and rally around if we want to not only help classical music survive, but push it to thrive.

Well readers, that is what I learned and have now reflected upon following the January 2021 Music in Color session. Its duration of one hour felt too short a time to spend talking with Dalanie and Mekhi, but I hope you agree that what was said in this open discussion gives impetus to deeply consider and implement new perspectives regarding music in our personal lives and in our communities. If you enjoyed reading this post, think about how much you would enjoy actually participating in our next Music in Color session on March 29th, 2021. Email yac@project440.org with any questions or comments about this post or how to register for our March event. On behalf of all of us at YAC, we hope to see you then!

This blog post was written by Youth Advocacy Council Member, Maria Karakousis. Maria is a high school junior attending J.R. Masterman in Philadelphia. She loves playing the piano and the harp (thanks to the incredible generosity of the Glissando Program of the Curtis Institute of Music Lyra Society) and immersing herself in classical music. She is very passionate about using the positive power of music to improve society, and is profoundly grateful for the opportunity to help empower other Philadelphia youth to do the same through the Project 440 Youth Advocacy Council. In between school, volunteering, practicing her instruments, her jobs (including teaching piano), and biomedical research, Maria enjoys going on runs along the Schuylkill River and spending time with her family.

Doing Good class of 2020 community projects

This past December, we celebrated the 2020 class of Doing Good! Doing Good is a 30-session intensive after-school entrepreneurial program that provides guidance to high school musicians who want to positively impact their communities. The unique curriculum challenges students to view their curiosity about the world as a window through which they can see the needs, gaps, and opportunities they are best equipped to address. Throughout the semester, students ideate, plan, and implement a community serve project under the guidance of Project 440 staff and teaching artists.

On graduation night, students presented their community service projects to the Project 440 family. Check our this year’s projects, as well as their founding members and mission statements, below. This has been a unique and challenging year for us all. We are so proud of the resilience and strength of each member of this graduating class!

String for Change

Nicolette Sullivan-Cozza, Justine Sullivan-Colla

Mission: SFC’s mission is to give lower income school students access to a music education by providing free music lessons and access to musical instruments.

Tonic K-5

Yeshua Irizarry, Trifena Tanisya, Ronnell Williams, Haley Joyner

Mission: K-5 students deserve to explore music through a cleaner lens. Tonic K-5 will do just that. We will hold meetings once a week with elementary students around the Philadelphia School District. In these meetings, we hope to spark a great interest in the music that these kids will soon be playing. We want the students to look at a piece and be able to understand what they’re playing and how they’re going to be playing it.

Arts for Adolescents

Arianna Baxley, Grace Hiu, Hajra Khan, Leandra Profitt, Mora-Lee Moore, Patrick Cannon, Jada Smith

Mission: Our goal is to give introductions to different forms of art (such as music, art, etc.) and show how they can be used as coping mechanisms for students who are in low-income schools in order to help the lack of mental health resources that are provided.

Art-Shark

Isaiah Muhammad, Kyle Boone, Patricia Harden, Ryan Williams, Tyler Davis, Xandro Xu

Mission: A place for independent artists to share their work and build off of each other.

Black Youth Empowered

Cierra Wright, Divine Epps, Jayla Jones, Leilani Padilla, Yohanna Heyer

Mission: Black Youth Empowered’s mission is to bring awareness around racial injustice and the lack of inclusivity that Black youth face. Over the past couple years the conversation around Black Lives Matter has consistently not reached certain groups, or has quickly lost its speed. We want to focus on engaging and educating nonblack youth and empowering Black youth through social media. We also want to use our connections within the classical music community to reach a generally older and more conservative group through music performance.

Meet Kintan Silvany, Youth Representative to the Project 440 Board of Directors

Meet Kintan Silvany, the newest member and Youth Board Representative of the Project 440 Board of Directors. Kintan is a senior at John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls School and started playing the harp when she was 11 years old. She has completed Project 440’s Instruments for Success and Doing Good programs, served as a peer mentor during Project 440: Online, and serves as a member of the Youth Advocacy Council (YAC).

Kintan currently serves as a teacher for Generation Music and as a Youth Apprentice for PhillyRoots, a social justice youth program, where she is involved with civic engagement and community defense. At school, she is Treasurer of Student Council, Co-President of the Music Club, a proud Colgan Scholar, and participates in mock trial, yearbook, and the All-Catholic Orchestra.

Kintan also volunteers both with her youth group, Maranatha, and at her community library every Wednesday tutoring younger students, and labeling and shelving books. As she joins the Board of Directors, Kintan took time to reflect on her time with Project 440 thus far, and share how her experiences have shaped her as an individual and musician.

What has been your favorite part of working with Project 440? “I love so much of Project 440, I really can't name one! Mr. Cigus, our beloved ‘College Fairy,’ has personally helped me so much with my college process. I always ask him to edit my essays and he always makes the time to do so. At YAC, we started a new segment called Music in Color (thanks to Myles Bell), and it has been so interesting hearing from young musicians from the Philadelphia community. Without Doing Good, I wouldn't have been able to become a teacher. I can't forget about being a Peer Mentor during Project 440: Online! Working with Ms. Hanul was a blast!”

What is your proudest accomplishment? “My proudest accomplishment with P440 was leading my own workshop for Generation Music. We started a new segment last year called ‘Mini Masterclasses,’ and I led the first one with my very own harp! We have now switched the program online so if music teachers need those lessons, they are at their service.”

How has Project 440 supported you as an individual and as a musician? How has it impacted your life? “It definitely made me realize that there was more to music than just playing classical. I'm going to let you in on a little secret: classical music isn't really my thing. I still wanted to incorporate music in my life somehow, but I didn’t know how! Going into Doing Good for the first time in 10th grade, I realized my dream was to create a nonprofit music school in my parents’ hometown of Surabaya, Indonesia. I couldn't really do it yet since I couldn't go to Indonesia during the school year, but this goal stood in the back of my mind. Ms. Susanna encouraged me to join another nonprofit organization that had a similar mission of benefitting future generations: Generation Music.

I would be totally lost in the college process without Cigus, and I really mean that. I am stress-free when I know I can just email him anytime with any silly questions I have about my essay, the Common App, or really anything else! Ms. Sam Apgar has been so supportive of YAC. She guides us and lets us be independent at the same time. Without her, I wouldn't know how YAC could have been as successful as it is right now.

Overall, as you can tell, Project 440 has immensely impacted my life in a very positive way. I now know what I want to do in the future and without P440 I wouldn't have had that wake-up call.”

Kintan and her Generation Music project group in spring 2019.

What do you want Project 440 donors to know? “Philadelphia has a vastly diverse amount of young musicians who need your support. Without you, I would not have found my life's purpose. Help others like me! While they may or may not find their life's purpose, they will learn that there is so much more you can do in life than play in an orchestra. While playing in an orchestra is pretty fun, learning how to start your own nonprofit is a skill not many people have. Funding Project 440 will allow GenZ musicians to have another skill that will help them stand out everywhere! At Project 440, you don't have to be a prodigy. You just need to have potential!”

In the future, Kintan aspires to run her own non-profit music school in Indonesia. We are immensely grateful for the time and passion she has already invested in the Project 440 community, and cannot wait to see what she accomplishes as a member of our Board of Directors and beyond!

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December Giving Campaign: Student Spotlights

After a year of growth and development, we are challenging our supporters to help us reach our goal of $20,000 in donations in the month of December. Donations go directly to creative youth-based programming that provides young people with the opportunity and tools for individual growth and community impact. Keep up with us throughout the month to read about our students, who have benefitted from Project 440 programming thanks to your support!

“As an individual and a musician, Project 440 has given me new opportunities to spread myself and music in unique ways. Project 440 gave music a new meaning in my life.” - Patricia Harden

Meet Mora-Lee Moore!

Mora-Lee Moore is a sophomore PMAY Artist and has been playing the violin for seven years. Mora-Lee says her favorite part of music is having the opportunity to play with others. “It's my biggest motivation when I choose to participate in chamber ensembles and orchestras.”

Proudest Accomplishment:  “I'm very proud of the person that I have grown to become until now, and my resolve for all of the obstacles that I have faced.”

Favorite Part of Project 440 Programming:  “My favorite part of working with the Doing Good program is that I'm given the resources to take advantage of my experience in music and the arts in order to make a positive impact on communities.”

When asked how Project 440 programming has impacted her life, Mora-Lee shares, “Before joining Project 440, I felt like I was incapable of making any kind of change. Doing Good has made me realize that having the experience of being a musician is a tool in and of itself. Music allows me to be able to help others while doing something that I love. Learning this has opened up all kinds of career paths for me, and I finally feel like I'm capable of making any kind of change that I'm passionate about.”

What does Mora-Lee want our donors to know? “I would like for donors to know that the knowledge that Project 440 provides to students is life-changing, and these tools that are taught will help students all throughout their life. I definitely know that Project 440's teachings will stick with me.”

In the future, Mora-Lee plans to become a more experienced musician, study songwriting, and continue my journey of self-discovery.

Ryan Williams

Ryan is a junior violinist and PMAY Artist. He has been playing violin since fourth grade.

Favorite Part of Project 440 Programming:  “I really enjoy talking & meeting new people. They were very helpful & I enjoyed every class. This program is an amazing program for people looking into business.”

Isaiah Muhammad

Isaiah is a senior cellist. They began playing in eighth grade, then picked the instrument back up senior year.

Proudest Accomplishment:  “Getting 100 followers on my first art, I was really proud and happy that day.”

Favorite Part of Project 440 Programming:  Meeting so many new people!

When asked how Project 440 programming has impacted their life, Isaiah shares, “Being around so many musicians my age make me want to keep practicing and doing good has helped me a bit with my organization skills.”

In the future, Isaiah plans to go to college to study music and psychology. 

Lilly Johannan

Lilly is a sophomore, and plays viola and piano. She says music has opened the door for her to a special community of friends and mentors.

When asked what pushes her to continue to play music, even as she navigates the barriers posed by COVID-19, Lilly responded, “Music isn't always about the reward. This whole experience is teaching us more about how to be innovative with music. It's beneficial to learn through these hard processes. Some people don't get these opportunities in the first place, and through COVID, we're learning to appreciate all that we had and will have again." 

How Project 440 programming has impacted her life: “Doing Good has allowed me to understand the potential of helping my community through music, and my future goals.”

In the future, Lilly plans to continue to play viola and piano through high school and college, participate in auditions, and to use what she has learned through Project 440 as she navigates her musical journey.

Divine Epps

Divine is a junior cellist. Divine is a PMAY Artist and has been playing cello for about eight years.

Proudest Accomplishments:  Being accepted to the Philadelphia High School for Creative & Performing Arts (CAPA) and getting to do a masterclass with Sheku Kanneh-Mason.

Favorite Part of Project 440 Programming:  “My favorite part of working with Project 440 is meeting new people and becoming friends with many of them. I also think collaborating with peers has been one of my favorite parts.”

When asked about how Project 440 impacted her life, Divine shares, “Project 440's community has supported me, as an individual and musician, by encouraging me to be louder and slowly helping me with my confidence. It has impacted my life in a way where I am able to interact with more peers and has given me more ways to help my community.”

What does Divine want our donors to know? “This program helps people make relationships with new people and pushes others to get out of their comfort zone.”

Fun Facts:  Divine enjoys playing Sims, watching TikTok, and baking.

Leandra Profitt

Leandra is a junior who has been playing violin for seven years, and guitar for two.

Proudest Accomplishment:   Being accepted to the Philadelphia High School for Creative & Performing Arts (CAPA).

Favorite Part of Project 440 Programming:  Getting to meet and work with new people.

When asked about how Project 440 impacted her life, Leandra shares, “Project 440 has impacted my life by giving me something to invest in and learn from. I want people to know how much Project 440 impacts its participants.”

In the future, Leandra plans to attend and graduate from college.

Trifena Tanisya

Trifena is a sophomore violinist and singer. She has always been a singer, and recently began picked back up the violin after starting high school. She is a part of her church’s praise and worship team and the Girard Academy Music Program’s (GAMP) Concert Choir.

Trifena’s favorite part of Project 440 programming: “Meeting new people was a small fear of mine, but it ended up being the reason I looked forward to going to each session.”

When asked about how Project 440 programming has impacted her life, Trifena shares, “It has taught me selflessness and leadership. I learned many things from each and every one of my peers.”

In the future, Trifena wants those around her to be happy. She plans to go to a good college and raise a family.

Fun facts: She loves Squishmallows and K-dramas!

Jayla Jones

Jayla is a freshman cellist who has been playing for four years. She plays both for fun and for self-improvement, and is a PMAY Artist.

Proudest musical accomplishment: Memorizing the Bach Cello Courante.

Jayla’s favorite part of Project 440 programming: is collaborating with her classmates.

When asked about how Project 440 impacted her life, Jayla shares, “Everyone in Project 440's programming has supported me as a musician. Project 440 impacted my life by providing many resources to gain more knowledge and grow as a musician.”

What does Jayla want our donors to know? “I want them to know that every donation put into Project 440 is proved worth it by the students and families that participate. We appreciate it! It has been less challenging during this pandemic being a part of this online program because I am socializing and interacting with people in a safe way. I'm learning things that allow me to become a better person.”

In the future, Jayla plans to become a biomedical engineer, and to be a cellist on the side who helps increase diversity in orchestras. 

Fun facts: For fun, Jayla likes to draw, read, watch anime, and learn cello covers for popular songs!

Patricia Harden

Patricia began playing the violin in school six years ago, but has since worked to take it to a more serious level outside of the classroom. She is most proud of her first performance.

When asked about her work with Project 440, Patricia shares, “My favorite part is being able to meet so many students with different backgrounds and overall, making friends. The Doing Good Program allows me to share my ideas of how I want to make music a business and meet a group that’s right for my idea.”

What does Patricia want our donors to know? “As an individual and a musician, Project 440 has given me new opportunities to spread myself and music in unique ways. Project 440 gave music a new meaning in my life.”

Patrick Cannon

Patrick is a sophomore saxophone & oboe player is most proud of his ability to push himself and try new things.

When asked about his work with Project 440, Patrick shares,  “I love the community me and my peers have. It's been great meeting other musicians and working with some of them in our project. Coming to class each Monday & Thursday to such an open community really helped boost my spirits after long draining days at school. It also opened my eyes to how if you have an idea, you can make it a reality.”

What does Patrick want our donors to know? “Project 440’s Doing Good program is all about.. well Doing Good! It's for a really good cause.”

Check back throughout our December Giving Campaign to read about more of our incredible students!

Project 440 Students Making A Difference

Project 440 helps young people use their interest in music to forge new pathways for themselves and ignite change in their communities. Doing Good is just one of the many ways we engage with students to achieve this mission. Doing Good is a 30-session intensive after-school entrepreneurial program that provides guidance to high school musicians who want to positively impact their communities. The unique curriculum challenges students to view their curiosity about the world as a window through which they can see the needs, gaps, and opportunities they are best equipped to address.

One of the results of Doing Good is the creation and implementation of community service projects. The second half of the curriculum focuses on developing and implementing these projects with students joining into groups to make meaningful change in their community. Check out the 2019-20 student projects!

Festival Ambiental

Through a multi-disciplinary and cross-genre live presentation to local youth, Festival Ambiental developed a program to educate young people about the mistreatment of the environment–providing young people with knowledge and tools to help our environment.

Finding Your Note

To prevent young people from spending their time in dangerous parts of their community, Finding Your Note provided an after-school program to allow young people to find passion and identity by learning about and experiencing different types of musical genres.

Generation Music+ (GM+)

With the guidance and oversight of their partner organization, Generation Music, GM+ developed a program for preschool students that included an interactive workshop and performance to bring students exposure to orchestral instruments and music.

New Melodies

New Melodies’ mission is to provide children diagnosed with mental illness a musical outlet, concentrating on instruments that are accessible from the onset, such as percussion, ukulele, and electric piano. New Melodies provided lesson plans and instruments to interested schools and music programs.

Kintan Silvany, a recent Doing Good graduate and member of Project 440’s Youth Advocacy Council, was interviewed to learn more about her experience in Doing Good.

Q: What was your project and what was the mission you aimed to accomplish?
A: I joined Generation Music for their second year and our mission was to teach music education at schools where kids have no access to it.

Q: How was your project meaningful to you?
A: I loved working with kids and teaching. It’s nice teaching the next generation about music so we can say that classical music isn’t dying! 

Q: What was the most important skill/lesson you learned in Doing Good?
A: I learned that I wasn’t that bad at teaching and that my public speaking wasn’t as bad as I thought! It has definitely improved and without Doing Good, I have been as prepared.

Q: What was your favorite part about Doing Good?
A: My favorite part was meeting and working with new people. I also loved learning entrepreneurial skills which I can apply to scholarships. 

Q: What is one thing you would tell a student who is thinking about participating in Doing Good?
A: Go for it! As a musician, learning more skills is a plus. You’ll get more money and you can have a side hustle. 

Whether it’s through music performances, teaching, protecting our environment, or standing up for something they believe in, Project 440 aims to empower students to make meaningful change in their community. We need your support to help fund our students' service projects. Without it, none of this would be possible.

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The Youth Advocacy Council Presents "Music in Color"

Project 440 is very excited to announce the launch of a student run series titled Music in Color. The series is led by our Youth Advocacy Council (YAC), consisting of alumni of Project 440 programs, the School District of Philadelphia, and other young leaders from throughout the region with a passion for music education. Participants meet monthly and receive leadership, project management, governance and advocacy training.

The mission of YAC is to use peer to peer influence to ensure diverse representation in Project 440’s programs and to provide feedback on program content. YAC envisions a world where all students in Philadelphia can grow and are supported in achieving music literacy. Your support is what makes programs like YAC possible. During the month of August, all contributions will be matched thanks to a generous challenge gift.

Below is an interview with the creative mind who pitched and is leading Music in Color, Myles Bell. Myles is a senior violinist and is a new member of the Youth Advocacy Council.

Q: What is Music in Color and what does it aim to accomplish?
A: Music in Color is a forum where musicians of color can get together and have conversations about race, representation, and diversity in classical music. By having these conversations, we can develop methods for change in the classical music field.

Q: What inspired you to start this initiative?
A: I wanted to start this initiative because I longed to share my experience as a musician of color with others. I knew I wasn’t the only musician feeling this way, so I decided to reach out to a few friends of mine and start the conversation.

Q: What are you most excited for?
I’m most excited for the initiative to grow! Hopefully it can grow to the point where musicians from across the country can get together and work towards change.

Q: When does Music in Color launch?
A: Music in Color launches in the fall, hopefully in September, with meetings every month. Stay tuned for more details.

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A Letter From Joseph Conyers to Project 440 Students and More

The following letter was posted on social media on June 2nd as a response to #BlackOutTuesday, a social media movement aimed to bring light to the events plaguing our nation. The letter is Joseph's response to a discussion he had with Project 440 students and alumni.

Dear Students:

I spoke with some of you recently about all that’s been going on in our world. It’s overwhelming; it’s frightening. It's sad.

I also mentioned I’ve never been a fan of using social media to make “statements.”  Those platforms can be such caustic and combative environments; I choose to stay out of the noise. My "statements," instead, are lived daily; action is how I respond to adversity. That said, I'm not blind to what’s going on in our country; I’m also not surprised by it. It's why I write to you now.

As a black man, I’ve had my share of experiences that have upset me and a few that have scared me a bit, too. Our world is far from perfect, and while that’s no excuse for injustice, it’s been the dark reality in this country for hundreds of years. It’s why the heinous and untimely deaths of our black brothers and sisters hurt so much.

When faced with challenges - there are many ways one might respond. One might feel anger. One might feel rage. One might want to crawl up into a ball and cry, and that’s okay. I’m certainly not going to tell you how you should feel or how you should react - that’s personal. We all grieve in different ways. 

While you may not have seen me protesting in the streets, I've been actively protesting for years. The sign I carry is the color of my skin, and my message to the world has been my advocacy for you.

We want the world to be perfect. It isn’t.  We want the world to be full of love; sometimes all we might see is hate.

But, stand firm.

To my black students, don’t be discouraged. Walk with your heads held high.  Our ancestors survived the insurvivable, and their blood runs through our veins. Our lives do matter. Let your light shine as a daily reminder to all.

Let music be your inspiration.  Bring your authentic selves to the concert hall - unabashedly. Music belongs to all of us. Music making is a celebration of our individual and shared experiences in the world. You have a place on that stage. Claim your spot; own it.

Practice boldly (and often 😉). Lead by example. Use your art to tell your story. Stand up for what is right; don’t settle. You can’t make others love you, but you can inspire them with how you love others. Don’t rewrite the narrative, write your own books. Provide pathways for those who can’t forge a path of their own. Advocate for each other. 

Be a good person.

When feeling powerless to make change in the world, start by sowing your own seeds of goodness for the future. You can make a difference.

Love hard; play hard; and know that y’all make me proud every day.

Love,
Mr. Conyers