ROCK FOR KIDS MISSION
Rock For Kids provides music education to underserved children in Chicago, sparking creativity and passion, teaching critical thinking, supporting academic achievement and enriching young lives.
Rock For Kids music classes:
- Bring quality music education into low income neighborhoods.
- Help students strengthen social skills and build self-esteem.
- Provide an alternative to gangs and drugs.
- Provide the cognitive benefits of active music education.
Rock For Kids provides music education for elementary school students at underserved Chicago Public Schools. Rock For Kids brings the classes into the neighborhoods where kids need them most to negate the risk and cost of transportation. Rock For Kids contracts professional music teachers and provides a choral based music education curriculum, based on the nine national standards of music education. In addition, Rock For Kids provides adjunct programming and workshops in Songwriting/Production, Blues and an audition-based Performance Choir.
Rock For Kids unique curriculum has measurable goals in the areas of: music theory and history knowledge, vocal technique, music analysis, public performance and creative and artistic development. Rock For Kids music classes help students develop not only musical skills but reap the benefits of music education, which has been proven to bolster academic performance and cognitive development.
CURRENT CLASSES
Rock for Kids’ music program started with just 20 children at one site, and has grown to provide free music classes for approximately 5000 children in 20 diverse Chicago schools. With 86% of all children enrolled in Chicago Public Schools living below the poverty line, the need to spread the joy of music continues to grow.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
PERFORMANCES
Rock For Kids students build confidence and teambuilding skills by participating in public performances each semester. Performances give Rock for Kids students the opportunity to work toward a goal as well as to take pride in the knowledge and technique that they have acquired. Students have been invited to perform at many public and professional venues including:
Millennium Park
Lollapalooza
Park West Theater
Maxwell Street
Whole Foods Market
Merit Fest at Symphony Center
BENEFITS OF MUSIC PROGRAMS
Recent studies show that there is a direct link between music education and better math scores, computer skills, language learning, cognitive growth, emotional well-being and positive self-imaging. It is imperative that children are not denied the chance to grow, learn and excel through music simply because they were born into poverty.
