Charity gives students the opportunity to study music
Shopping malls throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey are collecting musical instruments this month, through a charity program orchestrated by Musicopia, music education organization .
The Gift of Music instrument-donation drive is a partnership between the nonprofit Musicopia and PREIT Cares the charitable arm of Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT).
Donors can drop off instruments during regular mall hours and receive a tax receipt. Pianos are the only instruments that will not be accepted in the drive. Musicopia will restore instruments in need of repair and donate all instruments and musical supplies to Delaware Valley schools to loan to students.
The mission of Musicopia, now in its 35th year, is to revitalize music programs in underserved areas.
Each year, the Philadelphia-based organization reaches over 75,000 students in about 150 schools by offering educational music enrichment and cross-cultural programs that educate students about genres such as jazz, Latin, African and classical music. Gift of Music project manager Debbie Stern said the nonprofit has held music drives before, but this is the first time they partnered with PREIT.
“It’s fantastic. Every mall-marketing director has been so supportive of this drive by making sure malls have posters and window displays and by getting the word out about the drive to the public. The public has been very supportive, as well,” she said.
According to Stern, the most needed materials are string and brass instruments, such as violins, cellos, string basses, trumpets, clarinets and flutes.
Stern said that music is an asset to a child’s education that can help students with reading and math skills, and boost self-esteem and school attendance.
“If a donor enjoyed playing their musical instrument, but no longer plays, they can give the gift of music to a child who is eager to play, but doesn’t have the means to rent equipment,” Stern said.
New and used musical instruments, sheet music, musical stands and other related equipment will be collected at customer service centers in Pennsylvania at the Exton Square Mall, Springfield Mall, Plymouth Meeting Mall, The Gallery at Market East and Willow Grove Park.
In New Jersey, donations will be collected at the Cherry Hill Mall, Moorestown Mall and Voorhees Town Center. All of the collection sites are properties owned by PREIT.
PREIT’s east-region marketing director Debi Gilson sees the partnership drive as a way to help generate awareness about the importance of music education at mall venues during the back-to-school season.
“The ability to give shoppers an opportunity to get involved and feel like they are making a difference is very rewarding,” Gilson said.
PREIT Cares officially formed about four years ago as a charitable endeavor to support causes in the arts, education, sustainability, health care and social responsibility. Recently, PREIT Cares has held prom dress and pajama collection drives for less fortunate children and teens in the Delaware Valley area.
PREIT manages and leases over 38 properties across the country, including nine in the Delaware Valley area.
CEO of the Philadelphia Arts and Education Partnership (PAEP) Pearl Schaeffer has worked with Musicopia to help hold art and music residencies in local schools. The partnership is an organization that helps to support art and music education for students in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Schaeffer said the residency program sometimes exposes children to music and art education for the first time.
“Often times for children it will be first encounter with a professional musician,” she said.
PAEP, a regional partner of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, places art and music teachers in schools, organizes residencies and holds programming in school districts in the greater Philadelphia area.
The PAEP serves school districts in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Montgomery and Delaware Counties.
“Musicopia has and continues to fill a very important role in our schools here in Philadelphia,” she said.
Schaeffer thinks music and art education teaches children discipline and organizational skills.
“The arts are important to a child’s development,” she said. “The arts teach students to be critical thinkers, think creatively and to work cooperatively with classmates.”
For more information, visit the Web sites at www.musicopia.net or www.preit.com.
The Gift of Music instrument-donation drive is a partnership between the nonprofit Musicopia and PREIT Cares the charitable arm of Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT).
Donors can drop off instruments during regular mall hours and receive a tax receipt. Pianos are the only instruments that will not be accepted in the drive. Musicopia will restore instruments in need of repair and donate all instruments and musical supplies to Delaware Valley schools to loan to students.
The mission of Musicopia, now in its 35th year, is to revitalize music programs in underserved areas.
Each year, the Philadelphia-based organization reaches over 75,000 students in about 150 schools by offering educational music enrichment and cross-cultural programs that educate students about genres such as jazz, Latin, African and classical music. Gift of Music project manager Debbie Stern said the nonprofit has held music drives before, but this is the first time they partnered with PREIT.
“It’s fantastic. Every mall-marketing director has been so supportive of this drive by making sure malls have posters and window displays and by getting the word out about the drive to the public. The public has been very supportive, as well,” she said.
According to Stern, the most needed materials are string and brass instruments, such as violins, cellos, string basses, trumpets, clarinets and flutes.
Stern said that music is an asset to a child’s education that can help students with reading and math skills, and boost self-esteem and school attendance.
“If a donor enjoyed playing their musical instrument, but no longer plays, they can give the gift of music to a child who is eager to play, but doesn’t have the means to rent equipment,” Stern said.
New and used musical instruments, sheet music, musical stands and other related equipment will be collected at customer service centers in Pennsylvania at the Exton Square Mall, Springfield Mall, Plymouth Meeting Mall, The Gallery at Market East and Willow Grove Park.
In New Jersey, donations will be collected at the Cherry Hill Mall, Moorestown Mall and Voorhees Town Center. All of the collection sites are properties owned by PREIT.
PREIT’s east-region marketing director Debi Gilson sees the partnership drive as a way to help generate awareness about the importance of music education at mall venues during the back-to-school season.
“The ability to give shoppers an opportunity to get involved and feel like they are making a difference is very rewarding,” Gilson said.
PREIT Cares officially formed about four years ago as a charitable endeavor to support causes in the arts, education, sustainability, health care and social responsibility. Recently, PREIT Cares has held prom dress and pajama collection drives for less fortunate children and teens in the Delaware Valley area.
PREIT manages and leases over 38 properties across the country, including nine in the Delaware Valley area.
CEO of the Philadelphia Arts and Education Partnership (PAEP) Pearl Schaeffer has worked with Musicopia to help hold art and music residencies in local schools. The partnership is an organization that helps to support art and music education for students in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Schaeffer said the residency program sometimes exposes children to music and art education for the first time.
“Often times for children it will be first encounter with a professional musician,” she said.
PAEP, a regional partner of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, places art and music teachers in schools, organizes residencies and holds programming in school districts in the greater Philadelphia area.
The PAEP serves school districts in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Montgomery and Delaware Counties.
“Musicopia has and continues to fill a very important role in our schools here in Philadelphia,” she said.
Schaeffer thinks music and art education teaches children discipline and organizational skills.
“The arts are important to a child’s development,” she said. “The arts teach students to be critical thinkers, think creatively and to work cooperatively with classmates.”
For more information, visit the Web sites at www.musicopia.net or www.preit.com.
