Education and Community Outreach FAQs

Why does WRTI have an education program?

WRTI’s mission is to champion music as a vital cultural resource. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to discover the magic of music. Our commitment to expanding access to music education and increasing opportunities for our community to learn about and appreciate music is crucial to us achieving our mission.

What education partners does WRTI work with?

WRTI’s Education partners can be found here.

Does WRTI have any major support for Education already in place?

The Irving and Jennie Pearl Shoer Family Endowment and The Brown Family Educational Endowment in Memory of Franklin C. Brown support WRTI's efforts to develop partnerships with local music organizations and schools to increase opportunities for young students to participate in and attend classical music performances.

What are some examples of the educational work that WRTI does?

WRTI has hosted groups of schoolchildren for station tours, including programming on careers in public media
Provides concerts at public libraries and schools in the greater Philadelphia area through partnerships with the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Jasper Chamber Concerts
Creates educational videos introducing musical instruments that serve as a resource for families and teachers, highlighting young musicians from our community
Hosts master classes in public schools and community locations in partnership with the Philadelphia Music Alliance for Youth
Provides instrumental instruction in the Philadelphia Public Schools in partnership with Musicopia (strings) and the Lyra Society (harp)
Provides opportunities for the creation and performance of new music for a youth orchestra in partnership with Play on Philly
Brings groups of young musicians together for days of learning through partnerships with Philadelphia Youth Choral Ensembles and Temple Music Prep

Why does most of WRTI’s work in education have to do with classical music, not jazz?

We were fortunate to receive major gifts that enable us to conduct much of our educational work. However, these gifts are restricted to use on projects involving only classical music. We are working to expand our education program to include equitable opportunities in jazz and classical music, and your gift can help us achieve this goal.

What size gift would make an impact on WRTI’s education program?

Any donation would be greatly appreciated, meaningful, and impactful.

$250 allows a bus of schoolchildren to attend a concert
$500 provides lunch for 100 Philadelphia children attending a day of learning, like Temple Music Prep's String Festival
$1000 provides funding for 200 children to see a live concert
$1500 is the rental cost for a professional concert venue, so music students can experience performing there for their families and the community.
$2500 provides four classes of children with two jazz composition classes and an in-school jazz concert.
$7000 provides instrumental instruction for one classroom of students for a school year.

Interested in learning more or supporting WRTI's commitment to music education? Please contact Lydia Veilleux, our Associate Director of Education and Outreach, at lydia@wrti.org