San Diego Symphony
Community Music Center
1404 Sl 40th StreetSan DiegoCA92113
619-527-4098619-527-8944

Program: San Diego Symphony Community Music Center Year Started: 1993 Focus: Music Youth Served: 58 Ages: 10-12 Budget: $33,000 In an effort to open doors for local community youth, the San Diego Symphony Community Music Center, in conjunction with a committee of school principals, neighborhood groups, community centers, Latino organizations and parent organizations, designed a program to provide music instruction to students from schools serving a high percentage of low-income families. Youth attend after-school classes three times a week at one of the participating elementary schools and receive instruction in violin, guitar and brass, wind and percussion instruments. After completion of the 2-year program, students are allowed to keep their instruments, which enables them to participate in their junior high school band or a newly developing orchestra of program graduates. "Seventy-five percent of the program participants are still playing their instruments," reports Director Joseph E. Barry. "The music is raising the aspirations of the kids and giving them a sense of belonging to society."