PCM’s Community Music Recreation Center

Program/Project Name: Phoenix Conservatory of Music’s Community Music Recreation Center

One sentence summary of project/program: Phoenix Conservatory of Music is launching its Community Music Recreation Center to house The Berklee City Music Network City Music Program! A Berklee City Music Network Member is affiliated with The Berklee College of Music. Its site shows a commitment to giving inner city at risk students’ opportunities with amazing programs, artists, and experiences that celebrate contemporary music.

What is the community need being addressed?

A study released through the Arizona Department of Education in 2010 shows that Arizona Schools spend less than $1 per day per student on arts education, and over 50% of Arizona Schools don’t have a budget to support arts programs and 134,203 students attend school each day without access to music instruction provided by a highly qualified teacher. As funding for community programs and school arts programs continue to decline, the work that is being done after school and through special community based programs are become THE workable solution for many families. Programs like Phoenix Conservatory of Music’s are becoming a higher priority and we can bridge the gap between lack of funding and seeing the reality of learning though the arts happen.

Who do we serve?

The Phoenix Conservatory of Music provides high quality music education and experiences to over 3,000 student valley wide per year. We have 46 different community partners that we offer programming with and through. Many of these programs are introductory in nature. We are currently growing our programs that deepen the level of learning for our participants. 97% of our students are Pre-K through 12grade, are from low to moderate income households and are primarily of Hispanic origin. WE serve over 20 schools a year in after school programs for at risk students where the students have a 95+% poverty rate, 80+% are Latino, and 60% are English Language Learners.

What do we do?

The Phoenix Conservatory of Music’s mission is to unleash the power of music by providing high quality music education and experiences to students and families that is affordable and accessible.

We fill our mission by providing community education programs and classes, after school programs for at risk populations, private music lessons, ensembles and a unique college preparatory program in affiliation with the Berklee City Music Network.

Programs Overview

The Phoenix Conservatory of Music provides programs to over 3,000 students a year in the greater Phoenix area. We have four main areas of programming:

•  Community Education Classes — these programs are facilitated in the community though libraries, parks and recreation facilities, etc. They are introductory in nature and are a jumping board of learning for beginning musicians. We have programs from 6months and their families, to our little hands series, beginning youth series, and level 2 programs in basic music competency, guitar, piano, voice, and violin.

•  In House Programs — these are also community education based, but happen right at our own facility. These are great programs for people who just want to see if their child is suited to the instrument and are fun, developmentally appropriate play based interactive programs.

•  After School Programs — After school programs happen in the school site or drop in site (e.g. Boys and Girls Clubs) They are with largely at risk populations in lower socio-economic demographics. We have access to these students 1-3 hours per week and students are learning a skill set for 5 weeks to a full year in recorder, voice, guitar, flamenco, taiko drumming, composition, world music and bucket drumming. These programs are highly interactive, link to school day learning and focus on building developmental assets in young people.

•  Private Music Lessons and Ensembles — Private Music Lessons and Ensembles are a way for us to deepen the learning of our participant. In these programs, students engage in long term, intense skill building and craft development that is a lifetime journey. Most students take lessons for at least two years. Students who want to pursue music as a professional career or college option study much longer than two years.

•  College Preparatory Program — This program is a 100% scholar shipped program. Students are given 3 hours of music learning per week at no cost to them for 30+ weeks of the school year. This is done in partnership with the Berklee College of Music’s Berklee City Music Network. They have one hour of music theory and two hours of ensemble per week.

How will services change with the addition of the community music recreation center?

Recently, Metrocenter Mall donated 7,200 square feet for a first of its kind community music recreation center.

When complete, The Phoenix Conservatory of Music’s Community Music Recreation Center will house 4-5 lesson rooms, 2-3 classrooms, student lounge, piano lab, computer lab, and performance/workshop area.

For many years, community centers have proven themselves to be vital for the improvement, engagement, and investment of families and revitalization of neighborhoods. Phoenix Conservatory of Music will be using the community center model and creating a community music recreation center that actively promotes arts education.

Just as a regular community center has low cost programming for families, our center will offer low cost music lessons and classes. We will have a scholarship program for college preparatory and ensemble programs, and students will be welcome to use the resources of the community member with a membership. The resources will give students a place to interact in a safe environment that fosters creativity and collaboration. In addition, free programs will be offered through the community center like musical story times, teacher trainings, and interactive lecture demonstration from artists, student recitals, faculty recitals, master classes and workshops.

This innovative and replicable pilot program has the potential to be self sustaining with an initial investment. Over 5 years at 20% growth per year, the center will have enough profit generated to pay for the space usage fee, personnel, and scholarship program for ensembles and theory classes. Once programs become vetted and procedures in place, this can be replicated in communities valley wide.

How are we different?

In March of 2010, we were paid a visit by the Berklee College of Music in Boston, one of the premier music schools in the country. Through a highly competitive process that included a site visit, student performances, and consideration of our organization’s health, the Berklee School of Music awarded us an affiliate membership into The Berklee City Music Network.

This is a stamp of approval from one of the premier music schools in the country for our programs. There are 33 affiliate members throughout the country- only 5 in the southwest region and we are the span style="text-decoration: underline; letter-spacing: 0px;">onlyspan style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> school in Arizona.

As an affiliate member, we bring an amazing resource to our community through the Berklee PULSE Program.

PULSE is an online learning network or Pre University Learning Systems Experience. Its goal is to teach quality college preparatory music education through technology.

The best part about this resource is that it is span style="text-decoration: underline; letter-spacing: 0px;">free to our communityspan style="letter-spacing: 0px;">. Whether you are taking an after school program or in our year long ensembles, our students who are 4-12 grades will have access to this amazing technology integrated program.

Metrocenter Mall has recently (January 2012) donated 7,200 square feet to house a community music recreation center. This community music recreation center will bring national solutions to the music education crisis (Berklee City Music Network, Guitar in the Classroom, Roots of Rhythm).

The Phoenix Conservatory of Music’s Community Music Recreation Center will house lesson rooms, classrooms, student lounge, piano lab, computer lab, and performance area. For many years, community centers have proven themselves to be vital for the improvement, engagement, and investment of families and revitalization of neighborhoods. Phoenix Conservatory of Music will be using the community center model and creating a community music recreation center that actively promotes arts education. Just as a regular community center has low cost programming for families, our center will offer low cost music lessons and classes. We will have a scholarship program for college preparatory and ensemble programs, and students will be welcome to use the resources of the community member with a membership. The resources will give students a place to interact in a safe environment that fosters creativity and collaboration. In addition, free programs will be offered through the community center like musical story times, teacher trainings, and interactive lecture demonstration from artists, student recitals, faculty recitals, master classes and workshops.

Who and how many people will be reached (include ages):

The Phoenix Conservatory of Music’s City Music Program is a free college preparatory theory and ensemble program open to invited students only. Students do not need to be involved in a paying PCM program in order to participate. All students are scholar shipped in. This program is designed to take musically performing students at an intermediate and high level and give them 1 hour of college preparatory music theory with the Berklee College of Music’s City Music Network PULSE program, and 2 hours of ensemble music focusing on jazz, blues, rock and pop. We currently serve 36 students through this program and would like to grow this number to 100.

This year we will serve at minimum 80-100 students in private music lessons and 200 additional students through classes. With a moderate growth pattern, we plan to grow our private lesson studio to 420 students and serve 700 students through classes annually in five years.

We will serve at minimum 500 community members through workshops, open mic nights, and other open programming.

What services will be provided

At the Heart of the Berklee City Music Network is PULSE (Pre University Learning Systems Experience). PULSE is a hip, urban, totally interactive college preparatory curriculum that our students can learn from in class as we integrate it into the lessons. The students can then log onto the program during the time they are not in class.

This amazing experience will culminate with five of our students being able to audition to attend the Berklee College of Music’s 5 week Summer Performance Program for students 15-17 (think Camp Rock on Steroids). 2of the students will receive full scholarship to the 5 week college immersion program.

Last year, out of the 78 students nationwide that the Berklee City Music Network gave full scholarship to, 17 students received full ride four year scholarships to the Berklee College of Music. This is more than 20% of the attendees. These are amazing statistics for our Phoenix based students.

The Phoenix Conservatory of Music’s Community Music Recreation Center will provide community education, private lessons, drop in programs, workshops, classes, college preparatory programs and ensembles.

Our goals for the community music recreation center:

• To effectively launch the Community Music Recreation Center and get all aspects up and running: Private Lessons, Ensembles, Classes, Workshops, Performances, Student Lounge, Computer Lab
• To successfully implement our City Music Program by having 30+ students receive 3 hours per week in college prep music theory and ensemble and grow this program to 100 students.
• To scholarship in 50-100 students for private music lessons.To serve at minimum 80-100 students through parent pay private music lessons
• To serve at minimum 200 students with parent pay community education classes at our communityTo increase our earned revenue for in house programs by 10% over last year and lend to long term sustainability.
• To have two students successfully attend with good attendance and show of effort the Berklee College of Music’s Five Week Summer Performance Program on Full Scholarship.

What are the Challenges to achieving our goals?

• We have been given space by Metrocenter Mall. Garnering the resources to turn this large retail space into an appropriate learning environment for music is key.
• Upgrading our technology to meet the program demands to implement the Berklee PULSE program
• Increase fiscal resources to meet the increased demand of infrastructure to sustain the Community Music Center, grow our human resources, and use technology to grow our capacity.

Project Timetable

We will start the project in January, with Private Lesson Launch in February, Classes Late February and Community Programming in March of 2012. We will conclude our Berklee City Music Program for 2011-2012 in August, and begin again in November 2012.

What are the benefits of music education?

The benefits for music education are well documented and significant. A recent study by Rand shows that long term exposure to quality arts experiences have intrinsic benefits like: captivation, pleasure, empathy, understanding and creation of community. There are instrumental benefits like improved learning skills, improved test scores, the ability to hone 21scentury work skills (collaboration, focus in a multi task environment, perseverance, discipline, and thinking outside the box), improved individual health, development of social capital and economic growth.

We know that arts education experiences can be integral in providing external developmental assets for children.

Organizational Impact

PCM is being impactful. We measure program effectiveness through qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitative methods are attendance in programs, rated evaluations filled out at the end of a program, and actual student improvement for students regularly attending after school program, measured for overall program effectiveness by our school partners.

One partner reported:

• 82% of participating after school students increased their grades in reading and math by half a grade or more.
• 84% showed an increase in turning homework in on time.
• 82% showed an increase in being attentive and participating in class, and over 50% showed an overall increase in behavior.
• 80+% were able to talk about their art form with appropriate vocabulary and discuss step by step processing.

Qualitative Assessments include video (please see PCM’s website for our YouTube Channel Link), pictures and student testimonials. Individual statements from one after school program for at risk students include:

"I learned that even if it's hard, you keep trying and it gets better and better." "I was so proud to perform and be a part of the program. When my Uncle came and he was right where I could see him, and he shouted my name, I knew that I wanted to do everything right and I did!" "Next year, I want to do this again, because it will make it better. We already know what we are doing." "Just wanted to thank you again for helping to make this possible. Last night’s performance was spectacular and I am very proud of our kids and school. Carl Zaragoza, Governing board member, was there with his wife and had a wonderful time. Tuesday night was attended by Dr, Charlotte Boyle, our Superintendent, and two other boar members who reported excellent behavior from the kids and a top notch performance. Thanks again!" Jeff Geyer - Principal, Papago School.

History of the Organization The Phoenix Conservatory of Music became a 501(3) organization on May 29, 1998. PCM was started in 1998 by Bonnie Lou (Toigo) Coleman. Bonnie Lou was the head of Guitar Studies at Glendale Community College, and she was seeing a gradual decrease in the readiness of college level students preparing for a professional career in music education or performance. In December of 2004, PCM Founder, President, and Co-Executive Director Bonnie Lou Coleman retired. At this time, the remaining PCM board of Directors rallied around the organization, appointing Regina Nixon as full time Executive Director.

From that point on, PCM began to grow, at a rate of 25% annually both in our annual income/budget and in the numbers of people that we serve; providing programming for numerous families. We have been able to diversify our revenue stream between contributed income (43%) and earned income (57%), making us more sustainable to meet the demands and needs of our ever growing community. As our community continues to grow, we will need to increase the infrastructure to accommodate the needs of our community to continue to unleash the power of music is so many lives.