by Linda Silva
The nonprofit Music Tree is dear to my heart. I love the children, the families, and the communities I’ve gotten to know. I love the enthusiasm of the students, the dedication of the teachers, and the challenge of trying new things. I love just about every part of it.
Except fundraising. Musical Beginnings provides a lot of Music Tree’s support, the continued generosity of Musical Beginnings families provides another stream, and I write for grants when I can. But maintaining the funding necessary to maintain and expand Music Tree’s programs isn’t easy. Lately I’ve found myself wondering if it’s even possible. At the beginning it wasn’t an issue because as I piloted various small programs to see what worked there wasn’t much cost involved. I volunteered most of the teaching hours myself and borrowed materials from Musical Beginnings. But as I figured out the programming that worked best, it seemed that suddenly families and preschools were lining up.
Which was terrific until I realized that the cost of serving so many students would soon outpace Music Tree’s modest income. Now I’m a bit stymied.
Over the past few years Music Tree has evolved a three-part system that starts with teaching preschoolers at Head Start and Harmony Project sites, inviting them into Community Classes in Westchester when they reach school age, and then offering the most interested of them Music For All scholarships so they can develop their skills in private lessons. It mirrors what Musical Beginnings provides, which was my intent all along: to invite families of all income levels into our music community.
But how to sustain it? I’m happy to keep donating my own time, but the programs have grown so that they now need other teachers and new supplies, which of course costs money. Add to that the fact that music students often study for years to acquire skills and build proficiency, so I also need to consider the kind of long-term commitment I’m able to make to each new Music Tree family. I don’t want to start a student and then have to cut them off because I didn’t have a strong enough financial plan.
But when I feel discouraged I remind myself of a concept I recently learned: Education is a common good. I take that to mean that when one child flourishes the whole world gets a little better. And maybe Music Tree can be a tiny part of that. I suppose it doesn’t hurt to keep trying.
MusicTree.org