Letter From Founder Rob Silvan |
| I founded KEYS in 2004 because I believe that all children benefit from music, particularly in the form of personalized one-to-one instruction. My conviction is rooted in my own experiences as a student of music and as a musician, and from having been a piano teacher for over 30 years.
All music teachers hope that the next Mozart will one day walk into their studio. This does not happen very often and yet we find many powerful reasons to teach children. For years I have watched children learn to love music not only as listeners but as active creators. I have seen children become more alert and curious appreciators of music and better audience members. I’ve also witnessed growth in dexterity, hearing, reading, hand/eye and hand/ear coordination among my music students. Many of them experience wonderful development in musical taste and artistry. Music instruction helps kids with goal planning and achievement, developing the courage to face difficulties, and perseverance. Self esteem and maturity grow as a result of all of these skills. I have seen this on a daily basis, first hand. But not all children have the opportunity to learn music, and in many school systems the music and arts programs have virtually vanished because of budget problems. My goal is to bring music lessons to children in Bridgeport, just 30 minutes from where I live. These children have no means of gaining this vital life experience and I founded KEYS to give to them access to music, no matter what their backgrounds or financial ability. In five years, the program has expanded slowly and deliberately to include more than 80 children and this is just the beginning. Please consider helping us to expand into more schools and to provide more diverse opportunities for these students and the rest of the children in Bridgeport. Rob Silvan, |
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| 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.. |