City of Trenton

The Trenton Music Makers Orchestra was launched in 2015, in space provided by the Trenton Public Schools, and with key funding from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the City of Trenton. Trenton Music Makers Orchestra is now beginning its fifth year; students learn violin, viola, cello and bass in studio classes, while building peer leadership skills and learning the value of a shared struggle. We are part of the global El Sistema movement, begun in Venezuela in the 1970's, which uses music and ensembles as a platform for social development. Research conducted by longer-established El Sistema-inspired programs has shown conclusively that its children demonstrate better school attendance, raise their grades, and show improved executive function (self-regulation, selective attention, and the ability to shift mental tasks). Upholding and strengthening the promising elements already present in children's lives -- the network of caring parents and teachers, and the desire to develop skills that make them an asset to their school communities - we add proven curricula, access to musical instruments, opportunities to travel outside of their local environment, and gratis instruction by professional teaching artists.