Congratulations to the 1,000 Meet the Music (MTM) students who performed in culminating Spring recitals! Throughout the school year, these students received weekly lessons from trained Grand Vision teaching artists, learning foundational music concepts, teamwork, and performance skills.
Watch here for a virtual recital from Point Fermin Elementary Recorder students, which will premiere Mon June 8 at 5pm!
Pt Fermin Recorder students pose with Teaching Artist Nic Miller
This year MTM served a whopping 24 schools across the LA Unified School District with weekly programs, workshops and live concerts. Programs at our seven local LA Harbor “partner schools” were supported by individual donations, government and foundation grants. Thank you to our donors!
Meet the Music Spring Highlights
Recorders in Schools: At Point Fermin Elementary, teaching artist and professional musician Nicholas Miller rewarded his students’ dedication to memorizing their music with a surprise performance of his own. Nic shared that the “vulnerability of performing with them was profoundly moving.” In the same week, students at Wilmington Park Elementary chose the songs to perform that reflected their musical growth and cultural pride. Fifth-grader Ivy shared, “I actually like music and I want to keep playing it… I am excited to go to the higher grades and learn how to play more instruments.”
Wilmington Park trio perform with teaching artist ManMan Mui
Roots of Music Program (RoMP): Led by Grand Vision’s education coordinator and teaching artist, Lupe Montiel and guest guitarist Carlos Rodriguez, students at Park Western and Wilmington Park Elementary overcame their stagefright and celebrated cultural traditions through song, movement and storytelling.
Park Western RoMP students perform “Fanga Alafia”
Families were delighted to see students confidently performing the West African tune “Fanga Alafia,” in a memorable finale. Teacher Ms. Kirby shared that “RoMP has enriched our school culture in ways that extend far beyond the concert performances. It’s about building confident, expressive, and connected young people.”
Percussion Program and Strings in Schools: At White Point Elementary, the kindergarteners and first graders delighted audiences with their musical ability. Guided by teaching artists Kathryn Bailey and Marie Trindade, the kinders wowed the audience of peers and parents with “The Veggie Beat,” an energetic piece that teaches musical patterns and the Strings in Schools kinders and first grade violinists demonstrated impressive growth in technique and ensemble playing.
This year’s recitals saw strong family participation and support, with many parents expressing interest in helping their children continue their musical journeys beyond the classroom.
Thank you to our teaching artists, classroom teachers, school administrators, families, volunteers, and supporters who make Meet the Music a reality for kids who may not otherwise have had the opportunity. Together, we are helping students discover their voices, build confidence through the rigor of practice and the joyful transformative power of music.
Grand Vision Foundation’s Meet the Music program is supported, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts, LA County Department of Arts and Culture, the California Arts Council, City of LA Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn representing the Fourth District, LAUSD, Thelma Pearl Howard Foundation, Crail-Johnson Foundation, Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, Rose Hills Foundation, Norris Foundation, U.S. Bank Foundation and APM Terminals.
