Syracuse ArtHouse Collective Hosts Benefit Concert at Camillus Town Shop to Fund Affordable Music Lessons for Kids

Costly Chords

On Friday, November 22, the Syracuse ArtHouse Collective hosted a benefit concert at the Camillus Town Shop Youth Center to raise money for children’s music lessons. The concert featured performances by local artists including, Luna and the Carpets, Leeya, Mckenna Fenimore, and Nancy Dunkle.

Live performance by Leeya

Private music lessons are expensive. An hour-long lesson typically ranges from $50 to $100. A lot of families don't have room in their budget for that. 

A K-12 study found that "children who are eligible for free lunch are less likely than students from more economically advantaged homes to play music outside of school." 

Non-profit organizations like the ArtHouse Collective are bridging the musical divide across demographics by providing accessible and affordable music lessons, empowering children from all backgrounds to find their creative voices.

 The ArtHouse Collective's concert at the Town Shop was in support of the Let's Play Program initiative. The money raised for the Let's Play Program funds music classes for children ages ten and up who can't afford private lessons. 

The ArtHouse Collective only hosted one other concert for the Let’s Play Program so far, but program coordinator Leeya Abraham is confident the team will reach their goal of $900 by the end of the semester. 

"This is only our second concert, we had one last year and now. This year, we're trying to raise around $900 to pay teachers for this semester, and we'll see what happens next," says Abraham. 

The Town Shop

Entrance to the Town Shop Youth Center

The Town Shop Youth Center was the perfect location for the benefit concert. Founded in 1971, the Town Shop has provided free programming to local teens for over 50 years, including a wide variety of music programs. 

While music is a bridge between cultures across the world; at the Camillus Town Shop Youth Center, music is the world.  

For aspiring artist Darcy Pelrh, the Town Shop has become a sanctuary for Syracuse musicians to freely express themselves and connect with other artists.

"At the Town Shop, it's about individuality and being them as a person. My role here is to make it a positive space for others. I just like talking to people and introducing myself," says Perlh. 

Music is essential to any child's curriculum, like math, history, science, and English.

No matter their background, every child deserves the opportunity to pick up an instrument.

Check out the ArtHouse Collective website to learn about future concerts and initiatives.