UpBeat NYC is a free music education program located in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx, serving 200 young musicians aged 5 to 21. The program integrates Western concert traditions with Venezuelan folk music through pieces like Aldemaro Romero's Fuga con Pajarillo. Despite challenging conditions, including cramped spaces and occasional gunfire outside, the program thrives with a waiting list of 130. It includes orchestra, ensembles, and college application assistance, and emphasizes the power of music and community among predominantly Latino and Black students.
The after-school program provides instruments and instruction for free to students from age 5 to 21 at a time when similar opportunities in New York City's public schools are limited.
Even though it's too small, and we're busting at the seams, the kids feel like it's their home, said Liza Austria, the program's founder.
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