We bring children together in teams of music-makers, learners, and builders of a peaceful and positive future.
We currently work through three program areas:
Trenton Music Makers Orchestra -
El Sistema is a world-wide movement, and a game-changer for urban communities, providing opportunities for young people to participate in orchestral music making at a level that was previously out of reach. Participation in El Sistema programs has been shown to improve graduation rates, reduce gang participation, and provide a sense of purpose to young people. As its founder says, it is “social justice through music.” Our own El Sistema - Trenton program is currently running at Grant Elementary School in partnership with the Trenton Public Schools. The teaching artists are not only excellent musicians themselves, but are motivated by the community and character building goals basic to El Sistema programs. In addition to exciting and challenging rehearsals and performance opportunities, together we enjoy field trips to live concerts, learning experiences with adult amateur and professional orchestras, and building upon the El Sistema principles that bring discipline, confidence, and motivation to children’s lives.
Music for the Very Young -
Since 2000, Music for the Very Young: Music, Movement and Literacy has served Trenton’s pre-K children, their teachers and families, not only by creating joyful and interesting first musical experiences for the children, but by weaving music and movement into the fabric of the preschool day. In 2011 we piloted our first Intergenerational Music for the Very Young, in partnership with the Trenton Office on Aging. In the years since then, preschool children have shared their music class with the members of senior centers throughout the community. Not only have the children built warm and affectionate music-making relationships with seniors, but the senior centers have reported dramatically higher participation rates on the days that the children are expected. We have also created adaptive programs for deaf children, and children with special learning needs, which are thriving in Ewing Township.
Trenton Makes – WORDS! -
Trenton Makes –WORDS! is a city-wide initiative for Trenton families, to foster the vocabulary skills of young children through interactive and fun learning experiences with art, music, history, and science. It is organized as a community project between the Children’s Home Society of New Jersey, the Trenton Community Music School, and the New Jersey State Museum, with major funding from PNC Grow Up Great. Our role in this project is to provide music-based, word awareness programs at venues that are already hard at work serving the wellbeing of families. We intentionally build Trenton children's vocabulary through fun, engaging activities that emphasize their interaction with the important adults in their lives. Our families have opportunities to practice improvisation and creative word play, and an invitation to build it into their lives at home.
We bring children together in teams of music learners and makers, to build their minds, imagination, and community.
