Did you know that students who participate in music education on a consistent basis show a 50% reduction in anxiety, improved mental acuity, and lower stress levels? Additionally, they are 18% more likely to graduate high school and will perform on average 13% better on standardized tests.

Meet *Joseph; he is in 2nd grade and studied in Music Orchard Richmond's (MOR's) Tuition Free lesson program throughout the entire 2023-2024 school year. Each week he received a private violin lesson with a professional teacher, and four supervised practice sessions with high school mentors. When Joseph began the program, he struggled with focusing on the task at hand, working through challenges, navigating emotions, and interacting in a kind way with his classmates and teachers. In his early lessons, we saw all of those struggles! There were tears, emotional outbursts, and difficulty with interactions. However, by the end of the year, Joseph made great strides in each of these areas. He turned into one of the most eager violin students; he welcomed challenges and worked through them with great emotional maturity. His teachers reported a decrease in volatile behavior and kinder interactions with classmates. While we don't know Joseph's individual academic scores, we do know that the 45% of the students in the After School program showed improvement in math and 64% in English Language Arts. Joseph is not the only student impacted. In our residency at Martin Luther King Middle School, *Kaden shared that he was on the verge of quitting band when MOR began its residency and he got the chance to work one on one with a percussion Teaching Artist. Those sessions inspired him to stay in band and keep learning! Over all, MOR was able to reach nearly 60 unique students during the 23-24 school year with 100% of our work offered at no cost to students.

Music Orchard Richmond (MOR) seeks to enrich student learning experiences and create lasting social impact through high-quality, inclusive, and accessible music education both in school and after school. In the spring of 2023, Executive Director Elizabeth Kilpatrick asked community leaders and school music teachers "how can MOR help to create long term social impact in our community through music education?" MOR's current programming was born out of these conversations and exists to support our school music programs through customizable Teaching Artist sessions that take place entwined with school music classes and through our tuition free after school lesson program in partnership with Peter Paul Development Center's After School Academy. Did you know that only one in seven middle schools in Richmond Public Schools (RPS) has a string teacher? Our Teaching Artists help to fill gaps like these through visiting schools and working directly with students in ways that are deemed most beneficial by their school music teacher. Our After School program seeks to introduce new students to music lessons, or to further their current knowledge.

This year, MOR will be adding two in school residencies to its current residencies, in addition to offering its first ever "Audition Prep Day" for students preparing for Senior Regional Orchestra auditions. All of our programs are inclusive of all students regardless of their financial status and we work with the best music teachers and performers in the Richmond area.

We will be running only ONE fundraiser in the 2024 fiscal year, if we meet our goal! Funds will go towards paying our teaching artists an equitable wage and towards providing support for administration costs. Please consider donating today; perhaps set up a recurring monthly donation that is the equivalent of what you earn for one hours work! Your donation will make a big impact on our work and allow us to continue bringing inclusive music education to Richmond, VA.

*Names changed for privacy.

Music Orchard Richmond 2024 Fundraiser!

Team Members