Recital-mania

“This is the Big One for our students,” says Julie Carter, director of music education. She’s talking about the Joy of Music School’s Annual Recital, which will be held Saturday, May 11.

Spring Cleaning at the School

At their peak, more than 60 eager volunteers descended on the Joy of Music School March 16 for an amazing clean-up day we won’t soon forget. The biggest group of helpers came from the Regional Church of God and Christian School in Delbarton, W. Va., who heard about us on the “Secret Millionaire” TV show. They were in the area

Letter from the Executive Director

I recently got evidence that the School is known literally around the world, that the work of our volunteers, staff, board and kids is talked about and acted upon by people 8,500 miles away in another hemisphere on another continent.

I was contacted by a young woman from Johannesburg, South Africa, Kelly Grevler, who, inspired by the work we do here, is starting a program to teach inner-city girls guitar for free. We set up a Skype session and connected via internet video.

Imagining Our Future

Every day at the School, we are surrounded by constant reminders of our mission. We hear it in the hesitant notes of a first-time pianist. We see it in the giggling faces of our ukulele class. We feel it when our graduates perform on significant stages. We know the importance of our work and the difference it can make in a child’s life. What we don’t always know is if we’re doing everything we can to fulfill that mission. While we have more students, teachers and exposure than ever,

Save the Date, December 6

Holiday Sparkles & Spirits—our biggest, most important fundraiser of the year—is on for Friday, Dec. 6, 2013 at Cherokee Mills in Knoxville. You won’t want to miss this one! Delicious food and drink,

Helping Our Neighbors

Lonsdale Elementary School, located in the same neighborhood as the Joy of Music School, is not short on challenges. It was one of Knox County’s two poorest performers for “Achievement” in the 2012 State Report Card Grades. Yet at the same time, its “Value- Added” score—a measure of the opportunities a school offers children—was very strong. The Joy of Music School is part of the “Valued-Added” success story at Lonsdale. We’re working with the national organization Project GRAD, a public schools/private sector partnership promoting national education reform,

Arts Advocacy Day

A foursome of Joy of Music School representatives attended Arts Advocacy Day March 19 in Nashville, coming away with some helpful ideas about working with lawmakers to advance our goals. The four were Advocacy Committee Chairman Oslo Cole, board members Ann Hitch and Susan Brackney, and Executive Director Frank Graffeo. Sponsored by