The People’s Music School Continues To Provide Free Music Classes To Families

Greater South Side choir students perform at their Winter Concert at Wendell Phillips Academy High School. Photo provided by THE PEOPLE’S MUSIC SCHOOL.
Greater South Side choir students perform at their Winter Concert at Wendell Phillips Academy High School. Photo provided by THE PEOPLE’S MUSIC SCHOOL.

The People’s Music School Continues To Provide Free Music Classes To Families

By Tia Carol Jones

The People’s Music School was founded in 1976 by Dr. Rita Simo in Uptown. Simo was inspired to create a free music education program similar to the one she participated in when she was a child growing up in the Dominican Republic. 


Since it was founded, the People’s Music, which is Chicago’s oldest and largest tuition-free music education program, has serviced 800 students across the city at four sites: Uptown, Albany Park, Back of the Yards and Bronzeville. Those locations are inside Chicago Public Schools because of partnerships.


“We have a strong belief that it should be about community, so we never charge a dime for tuition, and we do everything we can to remove barriers to access,” said Miriam Owens, President of the People’s Music School. She added that families are asked to participate and pitch in to the community, contributing through their volunteer services, which includes ushering at the concerts and escorting students to their cars.


Owens said the program is able to remain tuition-free because of philanthropic support from private donors who are generous enough to recognize the value of what the program brings to the students, their families and the communities that the program serves.


During its Giving Tuesday campaign, the People’s Music School was able to raise more than $20,000. There will also be a gala in February where people are encouraged to attend and see what the program has to offer. Owens said the program relies on the generosity of people who understand the value of providing access to music education to young people.


Owens said it is important that young people are exposed to music and given access to music education programs because music expands people’s capacity for joy and for connection to other people.


“It’s especially important for those who otherwise would lack access to this opportunity. We say at People’s that our mission is to deliver access to the benefits of music education and those benefits are social, emotional and intellectual,” Owen said. 


Owens added that research shows that children who study music get better grades and are more likely to vote, graduate from high school and go on to college. Ninety-four percent of the students who are seniors in the People’s Music School program graduate from high school and go on to college. She said that being able to get those results and to have that kind of impact on students, most of whom come from low-income backgrounds, is really a testament to how powerful the benefits of a music education is.


Owen said there is a social and emotional benefit to what the People’s Music School does. She said the organization is committed to serving communities that are facing issues like gun violence, because the program can serve as a place for stability, safety, creativity, warmth and connection for the students.


The South Side location has been at four sites. It is currently hosting its program out of Wendell Phillips Academy High School and is the second largest site, with 160 students. It started at Gary Comer Youth Center and because of expansion of the program is at Phillips now. Owens said it means that the program keeps growing, which is great, but the organization wants to create more program stability. She said despite the fact the program has moved so much, it has been able to retain the students whose families value the program and are committed.


For more information about the People’s Music School, visit www.peoplesmusicschool.org.


Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

A.L. Smith - Harold Washington Legacy Committee