Arts, Music, and Humanities

MusiCommunity

The liberal and fine arts are essential to education and social entrepreneurship. Art, music, and the humanities are at important as STEM fields for personal development, innovation, productivity, problem solving, and creating job and entrepreneurship opportunities. Some of our most important entrepreneurs have credited the arts as being central to their success.

However, music and arts programs in schools continue to face budget cuts. Worse, the cost of instruments and lessons are rising faster than many parents’ incomes, leaving millions of kids without the opportunity to participate in music.

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SICC is working with student musicians and vocalists from three area high schools: Iowa City West, City, and Liberty High, to develop their skills as teachers and mentors to a new generation of musicians, vocalists, and social entrepreneurs.

Advanced music students teach younger students ear training, rhythm, singing, as well as violin, piano, and guitar. The goal is to level the playing field and give more young people equal access to music lessons, enabling them to participate more fully in music programs at school, broaden their education, and impact their personal development.

MusiCommunity has partnered with Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County for training from social workers and staff. Weekly sessions are held after school at the centers. In Spring, the program will expand to several area elementary schools and their after school programs. Over the summer, MusiCommunity will provide individual and group lessons at summer enrichment programs for underprivileged children in the area.

In 2018, SICC team members began to work with local organizations, schools, and music programs to develop an initiative that provides equal access to quality music education.

Most schools, team members found out, have many instruments that go unused throughout the school year. That’s the case even more so in the summer, exactly when kids have more time to practice, and usually, lack the structure to take advantage of the free time.