“It’s terribly unjust that some children and adults don’t have access to music because they don’t have enough money,” said Julie Wegener from her living room in Washington Heights, where she teaches private piano lessons. So when she heard about a program called MusicLink, she said, “the minute I saw it I picked up the phone and made a call because it’s how things should be.”
MusicLink Foundation, a nationwide organization, connects children from low-income families with music teachers who are willing to give private lessons free or at a reduced rate at least 50% lower than the normal cost of $75 to $100 an hour. It also helps them obtain donated instruments.
Wegener teaches and coordinates the program in Washington Heights. Two thousand teachers like her across the U.S. donate their time because they are committed to the ideal of equal access to the arts and the multiple benefits of music in children’s development.
A study by the University of Southern California investigates the effect of musical training on children’s cognitive, socioemotional and cerebral development. In an interview with USC News, Assal Habibi, the author and researcher of the study, explained that the positive effects go beyond the auditory system. “This system is also engaged in general sound processing that is fundamental to language development, reading skills and successful communication,” he said.
Jared Catalan, 12, is one of 12 students in the Washington Heights Music Link program. Jared, who has been studying with Wegener for two years, “has become more responsible with all the chores that he needs to do first in order to play piano every day,” said Anabel León, his mother.
Anny Paulino Collado is another student of Wegener who does everything she can to play the piano.
When she was 8, Anny completed the MusicLink application herself because her mother’s English was too limited. Wegener was moved, and she sought the help of a bilingual friend to communicate with Anny’s mother.
“Sometimes people don’t pay you much attention, especially if you don’t speak English, but Julie took the time to call him in order to call me back,” said Anny’s mother, Andolina Collado. Anny has been taking private classes with Wegener for four years. “You can play the piano by itself and it sounds beautiful,” Anny said. “It’s something I always wanted to learn, and it saved me during difficult times.”
Similarly, Jared said practicing music helped him overcome bullying at school, and Kim Lomuto, the mother of another student, said the music program helped her daughter overcome the loss of her father.
The program’s positive effect on students’ is the reason MusicLink continues its mission to make music more accessible to everyone. "Teachers who wants to participate must be willing to give long-term lessons. Not everyone can make that commitment," Wegener said.
Wegener hopes the organization will continue to grow. When introducing the idea to potential teachers, she tells them, “if everyone took just one student, imagine the change that we could make."