NOVEMBER, 2023: Family. Community. Connection. Those words came up repeatedly when Impact100 Garden State members visited The Institute of Music for Children, one of two organizations that received $20,000 anniversary grants in 2022. The visit on November 4 provided an opportunity to observe classes, talk to students and parents, and learn about the Institute’s big plans for the future.
The Institute, which is based in Elizabeth, began in 1995 as a church-run program striving to counteract the cuts being made to arts education in the public schools—particularly schools serving minority students. In 2004 it became an independent nonprofit. Currently serving about 250 students from the Elizabeth area and beyond, the Institute offers group and private lessons four days a week in a host of art forms, including music, dance, acting, cooking, cartooning, and fashion design.
The Institute has a profound effect on the lives of its students. At the visit, several young adults said they had “grown up” in the program, starting classes as young as four years old and maturing into youth leaders who now serve as mentors and classroom assistants. Parents tearfully described how the Institute brought their children out of a shell and gave them a focus. Many teachers have been at the Institute for over a decade because, in the words of one drum instructor, “it’s the best place I’ve ever seen for teaching kids.” Beyond its function as a place for arts exposure and education, the Institute’s goal is to provide a place for kids to be heard, to gain confidence, and to develop valuable life skills.
The Institute operates out of three buildings that share green space and a parking lot. Future plans involve enlarging one of the buildings to create more studio space, upgrading the kitchen so it is more appropriate for teaching, building a greenhouse so students can learn how to grow food, and building a theatre. Executive Director Alysia Souder emphasized that these plans are sustainable and good for the community. For example, the theatre and some of the studios will be available for other artists and organizations to rent, which will alleviate the existing shortage of affordable local spaces.
The unrestricted Impact100 anniversary grant supported the Institute in two significant ways. Impact funds helped maintain the existing programs and also supported the development of the Institute’s expansion plans.
To learn more about the work of the Institute of Music for Children, visit www.instituteofmusic.org.
