2022-2023: A YEAR OF MUSIC AND CELEBRATION

This year was marked by a series of special public performances, community celebrations, career development opportunities for students, and citywide recognition for our innovation and impact.

On December 1, 2022, ETM partner students gave a special performance at the Apollo Theater.

The Ralph Bunche choir from partner school P S 125 in Harlem was invited by Mastercard to perform at the exclusive Netflix film screening of Descendant, a documentary that follows descendants of the survivors from the Clotilda, the last ship that carried enslaved Africans to the United States, as they reclaim their story. Introduced by NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks, the choir opened the evening with a powerful and moving rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” to the audience of educators and community members, and received an overwhelming standing ovation.

The students' performance and voices were featured on NBC New York’s “Positively Black,” a weekly series that highlights health and education issues, and social and cultural programs in the Black community.

This winter, students from ETM partner school C.S. 55 in the Bronx were invited to the YouTube offices in Manhattan to give a memorable holiday performance.

Led by incredible ETM Teacher Arielle Lewis, the students brought so much joy to the space through their songs and ukuleles.

The students even received a surprise visit from artist Lola Brooke, who shared with them her experiences building a successful career in the music industry. A 4th grade student shared that it was the “very, very best field trip hands down!”

Students from ETM partner school M.S. 180 in the Bronx were invited by The Durst Organization to perform a special holiday concert in the Sky Lobby of One World Trade Center.

The audience was overwhelmed by the skill and achievement of the talented middle school choir as they brought holiday cheer to the space through a medley of traditional and contemporary songs

High school students from partner school The Laboratory School of Finance & Technology in the Bronx participated in a special Career Day at the headquarters of Warner Music Group.

The immersive day began with the students delighting Warner staff with a bucket drumming performance, a beautiful duet, and pieces performed by the group’s instrumental ensemble.

An engaging series of panel discussions with Warner senior leaders and representatives followed, providing students with the opportunity to gain knowledge about various aspects of the music industry and career tracks that may be of interest to them

This year, ETM was honored to be the recipient of the Arts & Culture Award at the 2nd Annual NYC Imagine Awards.

With nearly 250 applications submitted for consideration in five categories, ETM was selected because of its significant impact on underserved students in under-resourced schools across New York City through its innovative programming.

Board members Waleed Diab and Manoj Susarla and CEO Janice Weinman accepted the award

This spring, we received a generous $50,000 award from the Genesis Inspiration Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to connecting youth to the transformative power of the arts.

To commemorate the award, representatives from the Foundation, Genesis retailers, and ETM and school staff gathered at partner school P S 121 in the Bronx to observe an ETM class in action, speak of the importance of music education, and demonstrate the impact the award will have on the schools and students ETM serves

On March 29, 2023 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom, over 400 ETM supporters came together for a night of celebration and inspiring student performances to raise over $650,000.

Emceed by musician and fashion entrepreneur, Andy Hilfiger, the gala honored Google, accepted by Paul Darrah, Director, Real Estate NYC, and Warner Music Group, accepted by Chris Atlas, Executive Vice President, East Coast Operations & Urban Music at Warner Records.

A student bucket drumming ensemble from M S 419 and over 80 choral students from several ETM partner schools opened the evening with riveting performances To close out the night, Andy Hilfiger joined the All Hallow’s Modern Band, which filled the room with their energy and pure joy for music making We thank Google, Warner Music Group, and the over 400 attendees for joining us. With their support, we are ensuring all students have access to high-quality music education so that they can achieve the most in the classroom, society, and life.

After nearly three years of restrictions due to the impacts of the pandemic, this school year marked the first full year when our partner schools were able to invite their whole communities to attend winter and spring concerts.

A critical component of our model is to celebrate with students, staff, and family members the joy and power of music making. The importance of music education and its ability to foster connection were especially on display during these memorable times of year, demonstrating to us and our school partners how invaluable ETM's presence is to enriching a school's culture.