Our program, Community Strings, enriches the lives of children in Lawrence by providing music training through violin lessons and performances.
Community Strings began as a pilot program in 1998 with three students at the Community Day Charter School in Lawrence, MA. From that time, several hundred children have participated in this successful violin after-school program called Community Strings that enriches the in-school violin lessons and provides violin group classes and performance opportunities for approximately 100 children, ages 6-17 in Lawrence through collaboration with CDCPS, their latchkey program and Early Learning Center, and Esperanza Academy for Girls. In addition, many of our older violin students who now attend high schools in Lawrence continue to be part of our program both as students and mentors.
The violin students participate in Tuesday and Friday group violin classes, a Saturday program, semi-private lessons, a mentoring program, and performance and outreach opportunities. We also offer an exciting summer program that includes many summer group activities as well as giving students scholarships to attend a one-week string day camp in Lawrence called “Summer Strings.”Throughout the year, we provide many opportunities for the students to perform in concerts and outreach concert venues throughout Lawrence.
In its first years, Community Strings collaborated with the Northshore Youth Symphony Orchestra, Inc., giving NYSO and other young musicians an opportunity to serve as mentors and giving the Lawrence children additional performance opportunities. In 2010, Up With Music, Inc. was incorporated as a non-profit organization, its formal structure allowing for an effective focus on the needs of children in Lawrence and more collaboration with other Lawrence organizations.
Our extended summer program includes providing scholarships for many of the children to attend a one-week string day camp in Lawrence, “Summer Strings.” This camp brings in outstanding and award-winning fiddlers, dance instructors, and chamber musicians to work with the children. Students may also participate in a variety of special musical activities throughout the summer to encourage them to continue playing over the school break.
