Nonprofit Talk: Fostering high-quality music education for every child in NYC

Education Through Music students perform during a rehearsal. Photo by Education Through Music / Daniel Rader

By Penny Swift, as told to the Eagle

Penny Swift is the executive director of Education Through Music, a nonprofit organization that partners with under-resourced schools in all five boroughs to provide high quality music education as a core subject. Penny believes that every child, at every school, deserves access to high-quality music education, and it is ETM’s mission to ensure that.

We are now about six months since the pandemic essentially shut down most of New York City. How has your organization adapted during this time?

I couldn’t be prouder of my team, especially our heroic teachers.  Schools were closed on March 13th, and only 10 days later, our 50+ teachers were ready to provide remote music classes and lessons to all of their students. Each of our teachers has become a producer, an editor, and a videographer, in addition to being thoughtful, reliable, inspiring music educators. Because of my colleagues’ commitment to our students, ETM was able to provide essentially uninterrupted service to the students at our partner schools, and we intend to continue to do so in the coming school year.

How are you now adjusted in serving your program participants?

Teaching a music lesson on demand is a lot different from teaching live in a classroom.  For example, we can’t assume that any of our students have access to instruments, so that can mean asking them to find pots and pans, clean cans, or even a simple trash bag with which to make music. And we have to measure engagement differently, because student feedback isn’t immediate the way it is in a live classroom. Video views, homework submission, and emails from students are critical to judging whether or not students find a particular lesson engaging. 

What, if any, new services or programs have you launched in response to the pandemic?

We have tried to make our lessons accessible to students and families beyond our partner schools (we had 70 partner schools in School Year 19-20) by sharing on-demand lessons on community access TV channels, on our website, and through our social media--all for free. We even offer a live lesson each week on Facebook. That way, any child with access to the internet can join us for music class live or at their leisure.

As you look at the remaining part of 2020, what are your expectations and hopes?

COVID-19 has deeply disrupted our economy, and we’re seeing that playing out dramatically in our schools this fall. In New York City in particular, where music and arts education are already threatened, this new economic recession is going to devastate our music and arts classrooms in particular. That said, I am hopeful that school leaders, educators, and families will remember that music is part of a well-rounded education and will join ETM in finding new ways to provide access to high-quality music education, no matter a child’s background or zip code. Our students deserve no less.

How have you personally been impacted by COVID-19?

While no one in my family has become sick from this virus, I have unfortunately experienced some other losses, unrelated to COVID-19. Not being able to grieve in person with friends and family has been excruciating. We can’t hug, we can’t hold hands; a few months ago, we weren’t even able to be in the same room together. It has made these recent losses feel both less real and more poignant than any other in my life. 

What types of support do you most need now?

ETM needs people to support music education in two specific ways: with financial contributions and through advocacy. ETM hires, trains, and mentors music educators, and we need support from donors to ensure that we’re preparing our teachers to teach with excellence under all circumstances: socially distanced in a make-shift classroom, as well as via on-demand video lessons. Beyond supporting ETM and our mission, we need everyone to keep the drumbeat going about the importance of music education in our schools. And as a city, we must continue to demand that access be equal for all of our students.

Learn more at www.ETMonline.org.