Settlement Music School cites its final 40

For 100 years, Settlement Music School has been a beacon of equal opportunity in the arts, constantly expanding its accessibility to generations of student musicians.

Settlement has chosen to celebrate its institutional anniversary by casting a spotlight on the achievements of its students - 100 people whose experience at the school informed their extraordinary lives.

The final 40 of the "Settlement 100" will be honored at Settlement's Centennial Gala Saturday at the Marriott Downtown, a benefit that has already raised more than $512,000 for school programs and financial aid. Nearly 800 people will attend.

Among the honorees in the final 40 are Twist king Chubby Checker, television composer Richard Marven ("Six Feet Under," "In Treatment"), harpist Ann Hobson Piolot of the Boston Symphony and soul singer Lady Alma Horton.

Planning for the centenary celebration began six years ago, when the board, faculty and staff explored many proposals before deciding on the Settlement 100 project. The first five were announced in 2005, with 15 more in 2006, another 40 last year and the final 40 last January.

There are many famous names here, but the intention was not to choose the most famous, which would far exceed 100, or even the most important teachers, which would have to omit nearly a thousand.

The Settlement 100 represent an enormous diversity, from those who have become famous musicians or teachers to others who have achieved success in a wide spectrum of other fields. Many in the latter category have given credit for success in their ultimate professions to Settlement's early training in dedicated individual work and artistic interaction.

Among the 100 are a Nobel laureate, two MacArthur fellows, four Pulitzer Prize winners, a Fulbright scholar, winners of Academy Awards, Grammys, Emmys and Tonys, as well as many authors and elected officials and business notables.

Among the 100 are well-known musical figures such as Mario Lanza, the Bacon Brothers, Alex North, Wilhelmenia Fernandez, Eric Owens, Kevin Eubanks, Joey DeFrancesco and Buddy DeFranco. But you'll also find Mayor Frank Rizzo, physicist Albert Einstein, philanthropists Carole Haas Gravagno and Emanuel Kardon, and a host of renowned personalities from a universe of other disciplines.

Since Blanche Wolf Kohn and Jeanette Selig Frank started Settlement by offering music lessons for a nickel, more than 300,000 students have received instruction there. The school was open to all, even at times in the last century when many institutions were segregated.

From the original Queen Village location, Settlement has expanded with branches in West and Northeast Philadelphia as well as in Germantown, Jenkintown and Camden.

At any given time, more than 15,000 students from every ZIP code in the eight-county area participate in on-site and outreach programs in music, dance and the visual arts, assisted by a faculty and staff of 325.

Forty percent of students receive aid - nearly $2 million in scholarship assistance and financial aid - and the school also gives 110 low-income, inner-city youngsters Head Start arts education through the Kaleidoscope program.

The Advanced Study program for gifted teens, the Adult Chamber Players and Daytime Seniors for retired adults and the Therapeutic Arts Program for children and adults with disabilities have been models for many other cities.

At least 24 honorees and representatives will have come from all over the country for tomorrow night's gala. Honoree teacher Fredda Levin Segal and Checker, her onetime student, will attend, as will Pieces of a Dream, Joseph Sudler, Sumi Tonooka, and many other personalities.

On Dec. 7, at Park Hyatt at the Bellevue, a final celebration will assemble as many of the 100 as possible for a brunch and live broadcast on WRTI-FM and Comcast TV, with many of the honorees performing.

Settlement president Robert Capanna has said, "There is no better way of telling the school's story than by telling the stories of at least some of the thousands of people who have benefited from their Settlement experiences."

And the school's doors remain wide open to another century of talents yet to be discovered. *

Send e-mail to dinardt@ phillynews.com.

Settlement Music School Centennial Gala, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Mariott Downtown, 1201 Market St. Tickets start at $300; call 215-320-2686. For a list of the Settlement 100, go to www.smsmusic.org/people.