Hi Friends, Laura Rea, Executive Director of The Music Village here!

For those of you who may be new to TMV, I’d like to introduce us. We’re your friendly neighborhood musical arts center with a mission of Building Community Through Music. This means we do everything in our power to make it easier for everyone to experience music and the arts in a deeply personal and meaningful way. We know the power music has to break down barriers and unite people across all different backgrounds, and our purpose is to share that with as many people as possible.

We serve over 260 students each month through private lessons and in-house programs and hundreds more through community partnership programming. We have 33 amazing instructors who shepherd students of all ages into the world of music and help them achieve their highest potential through interpersonal relationship building, tailored instruction, and so much encouragement.

I won’t take up too much of your time going through our list of programs that we’re proud of (it would be hard to get me to stop) but I do want to emphasize the common goal across all of our programs, which is empowerment. It’s empowering to feel capable, to know that you have people around you who want you to succeed and will help you as you find your way, and to work hard towards something that matters to you. In a lot of ways, this is our truth, not just in programming, but as an organization.

Above all else, The Music Village is a place of belonging for so many people because everyone has someone at TMV.

Someone to connect with; someone you can learn something from; someone you can grow with and help grow.

TMV is one of those places that you wouldn’t expect to stumble upon–maybe you were just walking by like me–and it changes your life. It changes the way you see the world; changes the way you see people… Yourself.

Everyone has someone. Someone they can ask for a ride home and someone who will come in after hours for you.

We have a small but mighty team at TMV: Liz, our Client Specialist, who joined the team nearly a year ago; Michele, our Assistant Director, who has been a part of TMV for over a decade; and me who started a few years ago as the Client Engagement & Program Manager. Together, we bring different strengths and perspectives, but we share a deep commitment to seeing our village thrive. There’s a lot of accountability here, and although we are a small team, we’re not thinking small about the goals we have for this place. To accomplish those goals, we need your help.

Before we get into that, I’d like to pose to you a question: What does “future” mean to you?

We believe the future starts now. It starts with all of us.

Every person deserves access to music, mentorship, creativity, and community. The Future Fund exists to ensure that financial barriers never prevent someone from discovering their voice, finding confidence, or building their own community through music.

Your donation to The Music Village Future Fund goes directly back into our South Bend community as free programming, private lessons, affordable instrument rentals, and expanded facilities and services that are available for anyone--regarless of their financial background.

A donation of $500 funds up to 6 months of free private lessons for one student.

A donation of $1,000 funds 25 hours of free community group programming.

When you invest in The Music Village, you're investing in the artists, educators, leaders, and future of South Bend. The musicians who will shape that future are already here. The Music Village is here to ensure they have a creative place that supports them as they reach their full potential as community leaders.

We all know the saying "it takes a village." For us, that means: a community that works together toward a more creative, connected future for all accomplishes much more than we could ever do alone. Please help us reach our Future Fund goal of $100,000 so we can continue finding ways to provide meaningful, musical opportunities for everyone.

Laura Rea

Executive Director

Future Fund 2026