Arts-in-Education

The Manhattan School of Music Arts-in-Education program prepares students to be effective artist educators by offering pedagogical instruction and practical teaching experience in New York City schools. The program provides semester-long classroom residency programs in orchestral music, opera, musical theater, and jazz, as well as year-long instrumental instruction in partner schools. Our commitment to arts education in New York City remains central to the mission of the School. More than 1,500 New York City schoolchildren participate annually in our outreach program.

Student teaching-artists present residency programs in orchestra, opera, and jazz. These programs are designed to be interdisciplinary, creating links to other subject areas.

• Orchestra Residency: Student chamber ensembles present interactive performances such as “American Music” and “Music from Around the World” to students in grades 2-8.
• Opera Residency: Manhattan School of Music student singers present a series of educational and entertaining productions of opera and musical theater to students in grades 1-7. The program culminates with an Amato Opera-in-Brief performance in each participating school.
  The Sally and Anthony Amato Program >
• Jazz Residency: Manhattan School of Music jazz musicians present concepts such as improvisation, swing, and groove to students in grades 2-6 and perform different styles of jazz music.

Manhattan School of Music student teachers instruct beginner and intermediate instrumental classes at our partner schools. The instrumental program includes instruction in Afro-Cuban percussion, cello, clarinet, double bass, drum set, electronic music, flute, guitar, keyboard, recorder, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, viola, and violin. All participants in the instrumental instruction program present a culminating end-of-year recital.

Community Engagement

The Manhattan School of Music Community Engagement program provides students an opportunity to present inspirational and interactive performances to diverse audiences in hospitals, senior living residences, hospices, and other community centers in New York City, sharing the healing power of music as medicine. In many cases, performances are presented to underserved communities and to those who are unable to attend musical performances on their own. Through the program, students are able to expand their performance techniques for diverse audiences in nontraditional concert settings.

Performance Partnerships

Each year, approximately 200 Manhattan School of Music students participate in the Community Engagement program through partnerships with New York organizations including:

• Children’s Aid Society
• Corpus Christi Church
• Jewish Association for Services for the Aged
• Jewish Home and Hospital, Lifecare  
• The Lott Residence of Assisted Living 
• Marble Collegiate Church
• New York Botanical Garden 
• Riverside Park
• Temple Shaaray Tefila
• YAI-National Institute for People with Disabilities
• 92nd St Y