Performances + Events
BOSTON – New England Conservatory (NEC) and the City of Boston announced that all Boston students participating in the Everyone Can Make Music summer program will receive a full scholarship to continue their music education at NEC Preparatory School this fall. The announcement came during a visit to the summer program, now in its second week, from NEC President Andrea Kalyn and City of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
During the Tuesday morning visit, Everyone Can Make Music students demonstrated percussion skills on the tubano, sang an original song and an acapella rendition of Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” Students were also joined in a call-and-response tubano activity by Mayor Wu, President Kalyn, Chief of Arts & Culture Kara Elliot-Ortega, Senior Advisor and Director, Office of Early Childhood Kristin McSwain, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Vice President Corporate Citizenship & Public Affairs, Jeff Bellows.
Launched on August 14, 2023, the free initiative is designed for Boston students in grades 3–5 and is a testament to NEC and the City’s shared vision of promoting equitable access to music education. Twenty-six students aged 7-10 from across Boston have been participating in classes entitled “I Can Sing” and “I Can Play” and have also engaged in yoga, meditation, and dance lessons. The pilot program is directed by Lautaro Mantilla, Chair of Contemporary Musical Arts for NEC Prep.
The Everyone Can Make Music summer program expands on the December 19, 2022 announcement that NEC secured a $14.5 million grant to increase access to high-quality music education for Boston’s children. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks have been provided to all students courtesy of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
In addition to Everyone Can Make Music, NEC Prep is also offering expanded scholarship opportunities for Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 for qualified students. For more information on programming and financial aid, please visit the NEC Prep website.
