Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute Announces 2020-2021 Grant Recipients for PlayUSA

Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute (WMI) today announced the 2020 – 2021 grant recipients for PlayUSA, a program that supports a wide range of instrumental music education projects across the United States, all specifically designed to reach low-income and underserved students on a local level.

For its sixth anniversary year, Carnegie Hall has selected 19 organizations, including 2 new partners—Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and Soundscapes, Inc.—for a total of $510,000 in grants. In addition to financial support, the grantees join a nationwide network of innovative organizations committed to providing transformative music education opportunities for youth across the country

Through PlayUSA, partner organizations receive consultation with Carnegie Hall staff, professional development for teachers, access to online resources, and monthly webinars. In addition, an intervisitation will give partners a chance to come together in one national site and learn from each other’s practices. PlayUSA grants may be used to underwrite teaching fees for music instruction, purchase or rental of musical instruments, as well as instrumental repair and other programmatic costs. In light of the ongoing effects of COVID-19, PlayUSA partners have pivoted their work digitally, providing essential support and ongoing music-making for their local communities in this challenging time.

“We are excited to welcome two fantastic and inspiring music education organizations to the PlayUSA community and continue to support educators around the country that are bringing high-quality, thoughtful instruction to the next generation of talented young musicians,” said Sarah Johnson, Carnegie Hall’s chief education officer and director of the Hall’s Weill Music Institute. “PlayUSA has built a robust and diverse national network of leaders in the music education field, and we look forward to collaborating and learning from one another in our sixth anniversary season, reaching more young people than ever before.”

New grantees include Soundscapes, Inc. and Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra. Returning grantees include Buffalo String Works, Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, Community MusicWorks, El Sistema Oklahoma, Empire State Youth Orchestra, Enriching Lives Through Music, Hawaii Youth Symphony, INTEMPO, Juneau Alaska Music Matters, Kidznotes, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Music for Life, MYCincinnati, Opportunity Music Project, Scrollworks Music School, Tocando, and Trenton Music Makers.