I am grateful to MusicLink for providing my son with the opportunity to learn piano. Their tuition discount and instrument rent-to-ownership program are why I am confident my son can continue to learn music for the next coming years. They have been easy to work with from day one and has shown amazing promises. My son upgraded from an electric keyboard to acoustic piano within months of being enrolled in MusicLink! The staff, teachers, and community tied with this organization are amazing!
I first heard about MusicLink through my colleagues in the Suzuki Association of the Americas. I couldn’t believe it when I heard that colleagues were able to get free instruments for their low-income students, but in checking it out, I found it to be true. So, I became a MusicLink teacher 18 years ago because its mission fits very well with STEP’s mission of making Suzuki study accessible to all.
In order to be a MusicLink teacher we give discounts of 50% or more off our normal rates so low-income children can have private music lessons. In return, teachers can get discounts off music supplies, and apply for funds to cover MusicLink students’ master classes and summer camps. I’ve taught a lot of low-income families in my career and MusicLink has provided funds for master classes for STEP financial aid recipients, free donated viola music to one of STEP’s scholarship students who went on to study at Berklee College of Music, and free instruments to two students. Both students were overwhelmed by the gift of their very own instrument and are still playing years later, so that’s a real joy. They were both students of color, who are vastly under-represented in high school, college-level and professional orchestras & chamber music groups because of lack of access to private music lessons.
The most amazing gift my studio has received began last past August with an email from the MusicLink Foundation which notified us that the foundation had received a Wurlitzer grand piano through an estate bequest which also established an endowment fund be used for MusicLink students and teachers in New York state or neighboring states in the NE, and it included up to $500 in to assist with the moving costs for the Wurlitzer piano. The email also said that there were other pianos available in New England.
Never thinking I would get the piano, I asked about the other pianos available in New England. I was stunned when executive director Joanne Haroutounian told me I was the only teacher who had expressed an interest in the Wurlitzer piano, which was appraised at $4000. We just moved it into a church where I perform and teach, and are looking forward to using it in STEP’s Suzuki group classes and our February Solo & Chamber concert. Part of the agreement for storing it in the church allows the church to use it in Sunday worship, where it has enhanced worship already. Many in the congregation have come up to me, saying how beautiful it sounds (it’s a huge improvement over the Kimball spinet the church was using).
I am so grateful for all the work done behind the scenes by Joanne Haroutounian and the regional coordinators of MusicLink, supporting teachers who want to help make music lessons more accessible to low-income families.
Lani Bortfeld, Director
STEP Suzuki Strings
The photo is of STEP students and adults, including several parents, who volunteered in our May 2024 concert. You can listen to a video from this concert on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/100057701310147/videos/996052881866597
I am volunteering as a teacher for this organization and words cannot fully describe the joy I have felt being a part of this experience. Music is one of my passions and getting to spread it to others who are just as interested in it as I am has been a dream. I have learned so much about myself and music through this experience. I hope to do this for many years to come. This organization provides a safe, loving community so that you can achieve your musical dreams and have the greatest journey along the way. I would definitely recommend that others join in on this experience, for it is one you do not want to miss out on.
I have been a MusicLink teacher for maybe a decade already and it has been wonderful serving the students who have financial needs so they can actually get music lessons. MusicLink is great to work with. They follow up on the students’ progress and help them to get the things they need, like music and instruments if available, as well.
The students have been super grateful for the gift of music in their lives. My students who have been on MusicLink are super happy with their experiences as well.
Thank you, MusicLink!
Having heard about MusicLink just from a web search for charities, I was unsure of the foundation’s scope, model, and how they were able to reach out to so many students & teachers across the country. After getting in touch with the coordinators and doing some work on my own, not only am I confident in their system, but I’ve seen firsthand their ability to aid in the timeless endeavor of music education. Giving lessons, and even lending instruments, to so many students of different backgrounds and communities is part of what makes MusicLink such a unique and important nonprofit. I’m proud to work with them and contribute to their mission.
My name is Lorie Parmalee, and I have worked with the MusicLink Foundation for the past few years. They have connected me with two very deserving students, from which I recommended two more siblings to the program. One guitar student of these went on to be accepted at La Guardia summer program and then La Guardia High School! As a teacher I could not be more proud to have helped him get into this prestigious music program that may not have otherwise been available to him. This is the work that MusicLink works towards, and I could not be more proud to be a part of it! I am excited to help reach out to more students to spread musical achievement, success, and lifetime enjoyment!
As a private piano teacher wondering how I might address, in some small way, the inequity of who can & can't afford music lessons, I was looking online, when I found the MusicLink Foundation. I signed up to volunteer and started teaching my first student in March of 2023, and am also currently serving as a regional coordinator. With my students, I use a few online learning tools for sight-reading, composition, and effective practice, and MusicLink's Grass Roots Grant program helped me to purchase the technology needed for my MusicLink student, effectively removing the barriers to his being able to participate fully in lessons, group work and practice at home. I really enjoy working with this student and his family, and feel grateful that through MusicLink, I am able to pass on the opportunity that I was given to learn piano, in a more equitable way. I am moved by the mission and accomplishments of the MusicLink Foundation, and impressed with its organization and professionalism, and am so grateful that it is doing this important work.
I have loved my experience working with the MusicLink Foundation. It is a cause near and dear to my heart, and I am so grateful for the work MusicLink does in helping students make their dreams a reality.
I am a teacher with Music Link. My students and parents really appreciate the opportunity to learn despite financial constraints. Very helpful
This organization is run by teachers who really want to make a difference. Few organizations address the inequities around access to individualized instruction on a musical instrument - Music Link is a truly unique and needed organization,
It's been such a pleasure volunteering for this wonderful organization that works every day to bring music education to students across the country! As a volunteer, I really enjoy working with the parents, teachers, and local music teachers to achieve MusicLink's mission- every step of the process is handled professionally and with deep care!
Mackenzie Miller, State Coordinator (Florida)
I have taught a number of Music Link students and have enjoyed making music lessons possible to those who might not otherwise afford it.
MusicLink is exceptional: they do important work, and they do it well. As teachers, we want our lessons to be accessible to everyone, and we also know that cost is one of those barriers to accessibility. MusicLink has a great model for giving students that access while also ensuring a fair deal for the teachers (many of whom are self-employed and of modest means). I've been involved with MusicLink in a few different ways over the past decade or so, and every aspect of the process I've touched has left me feeling confident in this organization. The MusicLink students I've taught have left a lasting impression on me, too. I am so grateful that I've been able to work with them, and I'm grateful to MusicLink for connecting me to students I wouldn't otherwise have been able to work with. These students have added richness to my life and sharpened my skills as a teacher. I would highly recommend MusicLink to both teachers and students.
I absolutely love MusicLink's mission. I started teaching a few MusicLink students this year, and being able to contribute to their musical training knowing that they might not have received it otherwise has been personally rewarding and meaningful. The other day one of my ML students slipped a little present into my bag before I left their home, and it meant all the world to me to know that she was appreciative of what ML is providing for her.
The first time I heard about Musiclink, I was instantly drawn to its inspiring vision. I have since been impressed by the sense of community and giving spirit among those involved. They are easy to work with and eager to help in any way possible.
As a college sophomore studying piano performance, I often wonder about what kind of impact I can have on the world with my education. Musiclink has given me a way to use my abilities in a productive and meaningful way.
I recently heard about MusicLink through a volunteer website, and although I've only just joined as a piano teacher, I feel very compelled to write this review thanking MusicLink for all that they do for disadvantaged and/or low-income families. Just from my own experience, I've had a wonderful time teaching my student Jeremiah, and I'm so glad that I'm able to share my love of music with him. I would also like to mention that MusicLink was able to ship Jeremiah a great keyboard for his lessons.
MusicLink Foundation is comprised of some of the most kind, compassionate, and dedicated people I've ever had the pleasure of working with! I was 9 years old when I got my first guitar and it permanently altered my life. Music has brought me incalculable joy and continues to be my favorite thing in the world. I feel fortunate to have had that opportunity in life and wanted to give back to the world, which is what drew me to MusicLink. It is an enormous privilege being able to spread the life-changing joy of music to others with the help of this program. I have endless praise for MusicLink and the great work they do. If you're passionate about music and helping others, I highly encourage you to get involved. Working with MusicLink is an absolute pleasure.
I have been a MusicLink teacher for over 10 years. It has been a privilege to help students have access to music lessons regardless of their financial situation. No matter their talent, they have been able to achieve their musical goals. I was extremely impressed when the pandemic struck, and MusicLink responded by broadening the availability of lessons for those impacted by job loss. I have always felt supported by this organization and would recommend participation for both teachers and students. I feel that some of my best teaching has taken place under the auspices of MusicLink.
Independent music instruction tends to favor the privileged because of the expense.
MusicLink has a great model for dealing with this phenomenon.
Let's say you are an independent music teacher with 20-40 students and you took just one MusicLink student for free or reduced tuition. The impact on your bottom line would be minimal, and if every teacher in your state took just one MusicLink student, that would be literally thousands per state with minimal fundraising or overhead for the MusicLink organization.
As a student, you'd get free or up to half price lessons, and assistance with instruments, books and event fees.
We need to ramp this up.
MusicLink is a wonderful organization that provides opportunities for students in need. So much of musical success comes from having access to good instruments and strong teachers-MusicLink makes this possible for many hard working, deserving students. It is also a wonderful way for teachers to give back and connect with their communities.
I am a teacher and a coordinator for MusicLink Foundation and I can only applaud this organization for such a great concept in helping low income households access quality music tuition. It is a brilliant use of music teacher resources and really caters towards the children who have been recognized as having musical potential, but without MusicLink would note be able to receive private music education. They also provide instruments that have been donated and give students access to music camps.
I am a music teacher who is also a MusicLink Foundation teacher. I love being able to teach students who wouldn't be able to take lessons without assistance. I am happy to have MusicLink do the "checking" to determine if a child qualifies and I love all the ways they offer support to their teachers.
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I love working with MusicLink Foundation. They are always helpful and responsive and assist me while I help underprivileged students be able to afford music training.
I've been a volunteer teacher & Maine State Coordinator for all of 2020. This is an amazing organization! Without it, several of my students would not be able to take lessons! They're easy to work with for students, families, volunteer teachers, & coordinators! Thank you for your dedication to offering music lessons to disadvantaged students and your support for the volunteer teachers!
MusicLink is a wonderful organization that has helped support me in teaching low income students who would not otherwise be able to afford lessons.
Working with this nonprofit as a volunteer has been incredibly rewarding. I have seen first hand how all administrators have a true passion for the cause of music education and this is truly a labor of love for them. I also have seen the joy and love of music that this organization spreads to its beneficiaries. Teaching MusicLink students is one of the highlights of my week and I am so grateful to have found this organization and privileged to be a part of it.
The MusicLink Foundation enables students/families with financial difficulties to continue study of an instrument from qualified teachers.
My experience has been to teach students with families of an underemployed or unemployed breadwinner, medical difficulties, and father who is incarcerated for several years. Many discounts and free music are available through businesses and music suppliers through MusicLink recruitment as well as through our state MMTA association. IT's a joy to work with this fine non-profit.
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My commitment to and involvement with MusicLink for many years has resulted in many positive experiences with families and students. Teaching students whose families are going through financial, emotional or other difficulties is a blessing to them and to the teacher. Not only are the students able to learn a musical instrument without the stress of one more expense for the family, but the teacher may also provide extra support as a one on one "friend" . Students participating in the Playathon is a non threatening performance opportunity and wonderful fund raiser for assistance to students/families. In Minnesota, The public exposure at the MOA allows more and more people to know of this wonderful non profit organization.
MusicLink is doing important work around the country to help improve access to music lessons to students from low-income families. Because of all the help we receive from the national office, here in Oregon we have a committed network of teachers who donate their teaching time , businesses and arts groups that offer free products and services, and students who are learning, with all this support, to be capable musicians. MusicLink helps to make our communities stronger and more equitable.
The MusicLink Foundation has really met a need for several students in my independent teaching studio. A dedicated family with two students taking lessons approached me about reducing lessons to every other week due to finances, rather than weekly as they had been doing. They were perfect candidates for the Music Link program, so I was willing to donate my time to make that possible.
They have thrived under the program and benefitted greatly from it. They actively participate in many of our state and local events because the fees are waived for the programs. This would not have been possible without the financial help they receive.
Supporting MusicLink is a great way to give back to the community and make a difference in young people's lives by donating time, money and energy. Play it forward!
I have been a MusicLink Foundation teacher for several years and this organization has provided much needed help to worthy students. The companies who support this Foundation help so very much with the purchase of music books. I am honored to be a part of such a professional institution. Thank you.
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I have proudly been a MusicLink Foundation teacher for the past several years and so appreciate the dedication and foresight of the founders of this organization. Through the Foundation, I have taught many students who would not have been able to take piano lessons. This organization provides support, materials, instruments and self esteem to the students who are in the program. Our hope is for the continued success and leadership for this fine Foundation!!!
My favorite non-profit organization is MusicLink. Throughout my life music has helped me express joy, sorrow, contentment, worship, stress and many other emotions. I can't imagine my life without it. When I heard there was an organization that helped financially challenged young people have affordable lessons on a musical instrument, I was very happy. Since I am a piano teacher, I volunteered to take a MusicLink student. I have never been sorry. I live in a culturally diverse area and through my fifteen or so years of volunteering I have had students from many countries ad cultures. Becoming friends with them and their families has enriched my life and broadened my horizons. It has been a joy to see the students learn and grow in their musical skills. My first MusicLInk student was from Central America. Her parents were so supportive ad happy that she could have lessons. I had another family who were here on political asylum because their people were oppressed in their home country. The two daughters in that family are fine musicians today. Anyone who contributes to MusicLink will be helping to add a lifetime joy to some young person.
Peggy Newhall NCTM
As a nationally certified piano teacher and MusicLink coordinator for the state of Utah, it always gives me such an incredible feeling when I can connect a dedicated low-income piano student with a teacher, who is willing to provide lessons on partial or full scholarship.
A universal language, music education should be accessible to all children. It is in an investment in our future. This is why I dedicate my time as a volunteer to support MusicLink!
- Hana Janatova, NCTM
I volunteered for the Play-a-thon this year. The event was organized, our jobs were clearly explained and it was wonderful to see all the amazing youth and families that came out to support the foundation. It was heartwarming to see the teachers come and support their students. I could see the caring nature of each of the teachers and hope they see the full impact they are having on children's lives! I love that the play-a-thon not only brings awareness to the foundation, is a fundraiser, but also gives youth an opportunity to experience performing in front of an audience. I believe that the more experiences a youth has being in front of an audience, the more confident they will become in their everyday life. What a gift to give these youth.
Since a very young age, I have loved to sing. I have had many wonderful private instructors throughout my years of lessons. When looking back at the lessons I’ve learned, I realize that the value isn’t just the actual vocal, piano or guitar lessons I’ve learned. It’s the life lessons. Through my years of studying music privately, I have learned goal-setting, perseverance, self-discipline, problem solving, math and reading skills and much more. These lessons are invaluable. Through the MusicLink Foundation, thousands of children have been able to take private lessons. They are creating more than musicians one student at a time. They are creating well-rounded and successful young adults. As a Minnesota MusicLink Ambassador, I am honored to be part of an organization that makes a difference in children’s lives every day. Thank you MusicLink Foundation for letting me be a part of your organization and for being dedicated to enriching the lives of your students.
I have been a Music Link Teacher for several years now and my students appreciate the help that we provide. The program is like a village helping the child. Teachers, music businesses and donors all come together to help children who may not be able to take lessons otherwise. Not all the time and expense is on one person. I love how this works. People involved in the program are great to work with too!
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I have been a MusicLink piano teacher for 2 years and I think what they do is great. With there help, I have been able to provide private piano lessons for 7 students and I have placed 2 pianos in 2 homes. Two of my students are sisters and they were so excited to get the piano. They had been working on a small keyboard that did not allow for the full experience of playing piano. You should have seen their faces when the piano was put in the room. They love playing and have been getting better and better every lesson. Thank you to MusicLink Foundation for all the work you do in co-ordinating the placing of pianos.
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I have been with MusicLink since its inception and am so proud to be still working for the Foundation, albeit in another capacity at this point, as Coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic region. There is great need for this program that puts students together with teachers to study music even though their parents aren't able to afford the regular price of lessons.
Sonia Scadden
I have had the privilege of being a Music Link teacher for more than 10 years. I appreciate all that the organization has done by providing lessons, music, and instruments to children who otherwise could not afford lessons. Thanks to all the willing teachers who give of their best to enrich the lives of these students who have a real love of music.
Deb Meier
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MusicLink Foundation is a great organization and they make it possible for lots of students that are interested in music by providing instruments, books, and teachers so that they can take music lessons even if they can't afford to pay full price. Teachers care about these children and are willing to share their time and knowledge to help students learn to play an instrument and learn to love music for a lifetime.
I have been a MusicLink teacher and coordinator for decades. Long term individual music lessons for children who would otherwise have no access is one of the most important contributions a musician can do to make a difference in the lives of children. It is particularly significant in this age of drastic income inequality.
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I have been a MusicLink teacher for nearly two decades and continue to be impressed and moved by the difference MusicLink makes in the lives of low income students and their families.
I have many students who have benefitted from the Music Link program, receiving instruments, fees for exams waived. They even got to play at the Mall of America.
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I have been a musiclink teacher for many years. This program allows my students to participate in exam programs free of charge. They would not be able to afford the fees and lessons involved in learning an instrument otherwise. One of my students received a free piano when she was starting lessons. Ten years later, she won a music scholarship and entered university in the music business major. Musiclink foundation was instrumental in helping Rachel develop her talents.
MusicLink continues to assist my music school for mostly underprivileged students through instrument donation and discounted music. Some of these kids have been with us for more than five years so are becoming competent and growing musicians. Several participate in church services now. this is a very practical non-profit which facilitates the teacher and community helping a needy and committed family one by one.
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Because of this Foundation, I have been able to place 15 free acoustic pianos into student homes and have purchased hundreds of dollars in music from business partners at deep discounts. With the help of this Foundation, my program has been able to serve the needs of more than thirty needy piano students and we have just expanded to include guitar. The MusicLink services are easy to access by families in need as well as easy for the teachers. MusicLink fills a vital niche in the music community!
Teaching talented, but financially disadvantaged students is a fantastically rewarding experience, and the MusicLink Foundation really helps to make it happen. They provide help in finding students who would benefit, and help financially through business partners, and teacher reimbursements. The organization is efficiently run, and very helpful. I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience teaching MusicLink students!
MusicLink is a wonderful asset and support to music teachers and students. The administrators are tireless in helping teachers find discounts and benefits for students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to study music. MusicLink is a privilege for the under-privileged, and a true support link for teachers who give lessons for free or at a discount. This is one of the most unique nonprofit organizations I've ever encountered, and I'm so grateful for it.
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Musiclink Foundation does a great job at helping students study music who can't afford regularly-priced music lessons. I've thoroughly enjoyed being involved as a piano teacher.
I found MusicLink through MMTA and due to the easy and expert staff and volunteers, I was able to begin to teach three students immediately. The students were afforded free books, a donated keyboard, and the inspiration to make music. What an amazing and needed foundation!
I joined MusicLink as an active teacher volunteer in 2014, and have since taught several students through the program. I am proud to be able to offer piano lessons to low-income families in our community and I am glad that the foundation is here to support the students and teachers in many different ways.
I am a new teacher with MusicLink. Thanks to this wonderful foundation, my ML students are able to purchase music at a discounted rate.
I'm so glad that MusicLink exists to help music teachers reach out to their communities and provide music lessons to students who might not otherwise have the opportunity.
MusicLink provides its volunteers with the type of support that encourages, motivates and supports. The teachers and students are very fortunate to have this fabulous non-profit available to them.
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jvan wrote:
I have been associated with the MusicLink Foundation for 3 years and a MusicLink teacher for about 2 years. The idea that professional music teachers with BIG hearts are paired with dedicated students of limited means to enable them to study music is truly inspirational! The 20+ year history of this Foundation is clear proof that they are certainly doing all the right things! The smiles on the faces of students who can study music privately for the first time or when they receive a donated instrument to practice on - is worth a million dollars! Some of these kids watched their friends play instruments and only could dream of that possibility. The MusicLink Foundation has made this possible for hundreds of students across the country and in Canada!
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I have been a MusicLink teacher for a year and have had a very positive experience. The students have been very teachable, very engaging and always well prepared. I have had the joy of seeing pianos placed in the homes of my students, complimentary music from generous publishers and business partners. Without MusicLink the students I teach could never afford private lessons and would be missing out on the most significant part of their education. Thank you MusicLink for giving me a way to share my love of music with those who genuinely appreciate it!
I am a MusicLink piano teacher. Teachers are able to assist students in obtaining an instrument to practice on and provide music books for lessons. Piano lessons are for all who love music. MusicLink makes sure that even those without means get the opportunity to study music.
I have been involved in the MusicLink program as a piano teacher since 1999, teaching six students over the years since then. I have also served as the ML Chair for the local chapter of music teachers, having the responsibility of finding free pianos for each ML student in our community and arranging for the moving of those pianos. I have served as the ML chair for the Washington state music teachers association (WSMTA), presenting a program on ML at a WSMTA convention and meeting other teachers who have become ML volunteers. It has been a joy to share the music that has made a difference in my life with those who otherwise would be unable to have lessons.
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I have been involved in the MusicLink program since 1999, teaching piano to musically talented students whose parents cannot afford to pay for lessons. Each MusicLink teacher makes their own arrangement with the parents as to how much they can invest moneywise in lessons. Most of my parents have been able to pay for the music. I have also had several students help me with housecleaning or music inventory.
These students must be on reduced lunch, free lunch or on the borderline in their schools.
Washington State Music Teachers Association waives the fees for Adjudications, an educational event where each student plays two memorized pieces and is given constructive criticism by a college music professor, held each year in our local chapter. Fees are also waived if a MusicLink student enters the Young Composers Project, also part of the state organization's activities.
Music has been such a large part of my life that I know how taking lessons and learning how to discipline one's self to practice helps in adulthood. I see the benefit of music for these students as it may be the only contact they have on a one-to-one basis with an adult other than parents. Some have gone on to major or minor in college and would not have had exposure to music except through the MusicLink program.
I have been able to find free pianos for these students in my community. The local chapter of music teachers has been willing to pay for the appraisal of the instruments offered by people in the community and moving the pianos into people's homes. Once a student takes lessons for four years, they may keep the piano.
When I have a MusicLink student leave my studio, I talk with music specialists in the local schools to see if they have musically talented students who meet the criteria for the MusicLink program. I feel it is so important to reach out to those students and give them a chance to succeed and love music.
I have served as the local coordinator for this program since its inception in my town.
I've also been pleased of the partnership with our local Symphony which has offered free tickets to for a MusicLInk student and adult to take them to the concerts.
Also, a former piano tuner in town offered to give free tunings to the pianos of the MusicLink students. I am hopeful that the present piano tuner will offer to do the same thing.
Music Link has sent me some very talented students. The good ones practice, prepare for lessons, and are respectful of my role as a teacher.
As a piano teacher, I am always concerned when a talented student takes lessons for a while and then drops out. I am so glad I followed my instincts when I saw this family in the grocery store and mentioned the MusicLink program to them. They followed up with the necessary paper work to apply. It has been my privilege to see a brother and sister have a piano to use supplied through the MusicLink program.
It is exciting to see their progress as they prepare for various festivals and competitions. This has all been possible because of the MusicLink program!
I now volunteer my time with South King County chapter that is part of the WSMTA currently. The teacher receives credit for helping out students be provided with free or discounted lessons. The students in return will be continuing on with his or her musical education. This organization has local, regional, and national coordinators to help your student be successful. There are also scholarship programs available as well. This a great organization that everyone benefits.
I have been a member of the OMTA MusicLink committee in Oregon for the past 15 years. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had on a committee. We provide lessons, music and scholarships to students with financial need. When we began, we had a few volunteer teachers and students in Portland. Currently, our 16 volunteer teachers serve 29 students throughout the state of Oregon. Most of these students would not be able to study music without the help of MusicLink.
This is my third year as a MusicLink teacher and second as local coordinator. MusicLink and some music publishers, stores, suppliers and organizations help with the costs for qualifying students and teachers teach for half or less of their normal tuition.
This year a student needed a pedal box. On contacting a company this spring that sells pedal boxes and telling them about the MusicLink Foundation, they gave me a discount coupon, I paid $33.95, and the MusicLink Foundation paid the other $100.00. And now a young student is very excited about the sustained sound using the "pedals".
Additionally, a piano technician, on becoming aware of MusicLink through our Washington State Music Teachers Association, has been willing to tune the family piano .. a wonderful gift. My students have participated in the WSMTA adjudications, and the State organization waives the state portion of MusicLink student fees. Our local Music Teachers Association chapter also waives fees for MusicLink students particpating in our locally held State Musicianship Examinations.
Many thanks to MusicLink for pioneering these opportunities and for the publishers, businesses, teachers and technicians who help these interested students develop their musicality...Together we can!
Ellen P, NCTM
I am currently teaching the fifth member of a very special family of seven children. I have worked in the Music Link program since 1998 giving piano instruction. All the girls have been home school and the older girls have either graduated from college or attending college. I have know the parents for many years and wanted to share my gift of music with their children. The girls have participated in MSMTA Theory, and Keyboard Testing program, Piano Guild as well as many studio recital and events. Teaching these girls has been a real pleasure. They have excelled in all areas of piano study and have grown not only musically also personally.
I have just become a cello teacher for MusicLink. I heard of this unique organization through a family member and through a fellow cello teacher. Both recommended the organization as exceptional and both recommended that I get involved, which I have. I found the people administering this program to be extremely helpful and responsive to my questions and needs as a teacher. I have had one student so far and she is working hard and making good progress plus both of her parents are engaged in her musical education. Though my experience with this organization has only been a few months, I am very impressed and find the teaching particularly rewarding.
The Music Link Foundation has helped a number of my students in need. By enrolling in this program as a teacher, and giving needy students free or reduced price lessons, my students were able to not only continue, but flourish. Several of my students received free pianos from participating dealers, and many received free music. One of my students in particular, Connor, has had lessons from me since he was 5, and is now a Junior in high school. He is extremely gifted, and is performing for the Junior League of Women, for the Baccalaureate at his school, one of the Governor's Schools of Virginia, and many other events. He plays piano at an advanced level now, and also showed an interest in organ. When I gave him his first organ lesson, I could see he was a natural at coordinating and reading both hands and feet immediately. So I encouraged him to apply for the American Guild of Organists Scholarship program, and he won that scholarship two years in a row. He is now earning money for both himself and his mom and grandmother by playing organ at various churches. I am very proud of him, and much of it was due to the support that MusicLink gave him in combination with his own dedication and work.
I love MusicLink! My three children have been taking piano and violin lessons and they love it! I am so grateful MusicLink made it possible for my children to learn an instrument. Not just that, music shapes a person.... it builds character. I appreciate this program so much! And love the teachers! They are great with my kids. Thank you MusicLink!!!!
Music Link is a wonderful organization which helps children who want to take piano lessons and their parents by enlisting teachers who are willing to charge half of their regular fee for lessons.
I am a private piano teacher in Chicago and I teach three Music Link students out of my thirty students. This program not only teaches these students the beauty of music, but it also helps the parents financially.
My three students are talented and love to play the piano and play in the NWSMTA's Festival of Pianos, Sonata/Sonatina Festival at Harper College, recitals at Park Ridge Library and Steinway Gallery of Northbrook, entertaine the residents of our local nursing homes three times a year, and play in my two major recitals. This is my reward for giving them lessons at half my regular fee. Marcia Music
Marcia Music in Chicago
When I opened my non-profit music school in 2001, I was searching for a way to engage the disadvantaged community in my musically elitist city of Madison, WI. I was thrilled to discover the MusicLink Foundation's system that fit perfectly into our existing programming. Joanne Haroutounian can take credit for enhancing the lives of so many talented children across the country. And the key word is "talented." How many students do us teachers teach that we know deep down will never really get anywhere in the world of music, but we need the income and so "take the money and run?" Most of them, I'd say. Yet the system of having community leaders identify children who show a special flair for music but do not have the resources to seek out private lessons makes it (for me) completely worthwhile. I love teaching, I love kids and I love teaching kids who are talented. I don't even notice the lack of $. I also love the challenge of finding teachers who are willing to be apart of this amazing program. Sincerely, Jo Simons, Director Community Music School, ltd Madison, WI
I loved teaching with Music Link, think it is a wonderful program and just wish more families knew they could have lessons this way.
I have watched, in wonder, as music student after music student has moved through their lives reframing how they saw themselves as a result of the caring support of MusicLink teachers. Year after year, successful performance after successful performance, these children in need built a strong sense of themselves as disciplined, capable and an important part of the musical community. Most, have gone on to win scholarships to universities and colleges. Often being the first person in their families to ever go to college. MusicLink is about music and a whole lot more!
The MusicLink program inspired me to offer a scholarship to a young girl who would not otherwise have been able to afford piano lessons. After 4 years in the program she not only plays the piano very well, but has also now added violin and percussion playing. She loves music of all kinds and has developed extreme confidence. I have no doubt that she is a future leader, not only in musical activities, but in life. As an educator, I'm of the opinion that every teacher needs to offer one scholarship at all times. Great things happen to everyone involved as a result.
I learned of the MusicLink Foundation at a music EXPO put on by Schmitt Music, in the Minneapolis area. For several years I had wanted to try to teach piano lessons to children from homes who could not afford lessons. But I knew that most did not have access to a piano. Then I met the Minnesota MusicLink representative, and thus began a wonderful chapter in my piano lessons history. I currently teach 15 students, and 6 of them receive lessons from no pay up to half price. Then, they have each received an electric keyboard for a time, which has been replaced by a real piano eventually. If they continue lessons through MusicLink for 4 years, they are allowed to keep the piano. Of all the students I've had over the past several years, they have all worked hard, and the families have been so blessed and appreciative. I, too, have been much blessed. Our Minnesota representative is VERY supportive of everything we do, as is the national organization.