The Tapestry Music Project provides free music learning and listening experiences to students from underserved communities.
Washington Conservatory of Music’s Tapestry Music Project was born in 2017 through a grant from the estate of Gertrude Delfino, the daughter of Italian immigrants and a dual resident of Washington, D.C. and Rome, Italy. Ms. Delfino’s dream was to expand the opportunities available to children of immigrant families to study and excel in music. The Tapestry Music Project has grown through additional generous donations from our supporters, the Paul M. Angell Foundation, and the Corina Higginson Trust to provide an array of free music learning and listening experiences to students from immigrant and underserved communities in Silver Spring, Wheaton, and Takoma Park, Maryland.
Tapestry Music Project Impact
- Since the Tapestry Music Project was launched in Spring 2017, we have provided free music classes to over 791 children in six locations in Montgomery County, Maryland, through a partnership with the Montgomery Housing Partnership.
- We provide weekly early childhood music classes to 660 children ages 3-5 in five locations in Silver Spring and Takoma Park, Maryland.
- We have taught weekly violin, guitar, and ukulele classes to more than 131 third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students of Montgomery Housing Partnership’s Community Life GATOR Program at Arcola Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland. A violin, guitar, or ukulele is provided at no cost to each student in the classes.
- In the summer of 2017, we provided a free violin immersion experience—a weeklong, full-day music camp—to children ages 7-11, in partnership with CASA de Maryland.
- In December 2017, we presented a morning of concerts by the world-renowned Spanish Brass to 680 students, faculty, and parents at Arcola Elementary School. Amadi Azikiwe, a member of the Washington Conservatory Ensemble-in-Residence, Pressenda Chamber Players, performed several violin demonstrations and performances for students at Arcola Elementary School. In May 2023, we presented two “Cosmic Cycles” Concerts by the National Philharmonic Chamber Players to 500 students at Stedwick Elementary School.
- 33 students have received scholarships for individual music lessons with artist-faculty members of the Washington Conservatory of Music at Conservatory teaching sites and through partnerships with Friendship Prep and Stedwick Elementary School.
More than 1836 students served through the 8 years of the Tapestry Music Project
- 23 scholarship for advanced instruction with Conservatory Artist-Faculty
- 813 free music instruction enrollments
- 1,000+ children experiencing unforgettable classical music at the Listening & Learning Concerts, many for the first time