Fall 2020

Status: Active

For our Fall 2020 plan, we have put an emphasis on acquiring instruments for mentees who do not have one. We also hope to expand our reach to Boston. We plan to have social events and recitals on Zoom to build a sense of community.

PBHA’s Harvard and Radcliffe Musical Outreach to Neighborhood Youth, or HARMONY, Mentoring aims to give all youth in the Cambridge area access to a musical education. We believe that music enhances growth, as children develop new skills and a new passion. Music can develop discipline and bring joy, among a countless number of other benefits. Learning to make music is a great gift that we would love to share with the children in our community.

HARMONY Mentoring volunteers meet weekly with their mentees for personal music lessons. Each week’s lesson typically begins with reviewing material from the previous lesson and then finish by learning a new piece. Mentors and mentees develop a close relationship throughout the semester and have lots of fun learning from each other.

HARMONY Mentoring encourages all children to pursue a musical education and welcomes any interest in the program. Just as learning and developing any skill takes time, so learning to make music is a journey. We highly encourage children to continue their musical education for as long as possible, such as through continual participation in PBHA’s HARMONY Mentoring programs or lessons elsewhere.