Music Lessons for Under-served Children
Playing the piano and being part of KEYS is fun. It gives me new experiences and opportunities.”
-7th grade KEYS student

KEYS' Mission

KEYS’ Achievements

The mission of KEYS is to bring private one-to-one piano, cello, and violin lessons and group music instruction to under-served children in Bridgeport, CT who have no other access to this empowering life experience. KEYS agrees with the many studies that have demonstrated that children benefit intellectually, emotionally, and socially from musical instruction. In providing this opportunity, KEYS serves this community in a unique and important manner.

KEYS Pianist Kids Empowered by Your Support (KEYS) was founded in 2004 by Rob Silvan, a musician and music educator, who volunteered to teach piano to 4 students at Columbus School in Bridgeport. The program met with overwhelming enthusiasm and support by students and school administrators alike, so, KEYS hired professional and dedicated teachers to meet the growing demand. The program now serves nearly 100 students whose families cannot provide musical instruction for their children.
Read more… Watch Our Video

The KEYS program has proven to be extremely beneficial to our students, not only musically, but socially as well. Students have developed self-confidence and motivation as a result of this program. The relationship between the KEYS program and Beardsley School is a true partnership. We are working together with the students as our focus.”

Amy Marshall - Principal, Beardsley School

Community

Give an under-served child the chance to become an accomplished musician!

Donate to KEYS

 

Children in the four schools served by KEYS are underserved youth who live in the inner-city environment of the City of Bridgeport. A quarter of Bridgeport’s children live below the poverty line, and a quarter of Bridgeport’s children live in single parent homes.

  • Only 31% of ethnically and racially diverse Bridgeport residents 25 or older have graduated from high school, and only 12% have graduated college.
  • Average SAT scores are well below the national mean.
  • The families of these children cannot afford to provide them with music lessons.

Kids Empowered by Your Support, Inc. KEYS is a 501(c)3 charitable organization that relies on the generosity of local businesses, foundations and private individuals and does not receive financial support from the Bridgeport Public Schools District or the State of Connecticut. For this reason, the number of children we can teach depends on the about of funds we raise..