Teens accessing music education funded by Take Note Colorado
Take Note Colorado is hosting its annual Sing It To Me Santa concert to fund music grants across the state. Grace Potter is headlining the show promoting her newest album, "Mother Road." Tracksuit Wedding is also playing featuring Ryan Chrys, and one of the music students that benefit from Take Note Funding will also get to perform.
LINK: To Donate to Take Note Colorado
Take Note Colorado was founded in 2017 as an initiative to make musical instruments and instruction available to every student in Colorado. The non-profit provides grants to organizations and programs that work directly with kids, including Matthew's House in Fort Collins.
"We benefit very much from Take Note's funding, which allows us to continue this program and provide these lessons for free," said Mike McTernan, Music Program Coordinator at Matthew's House.
Matthew's House provides instruments and one-on-one lessons to teens who may be at-risk or in the foster care system.
"We pair local artists and musicians with youth, and they teach and often it becomes more of a mentorship," McTernan explained. "A lot of the time it becomes part-music part therapy."
Salma is one of the teens in the program now.
"I had first signed up for drums and I quickly learned that it was not for me," she told CBS News Colorado. "Then I picked the bass. I learned my first song, and I was like this is for me."
She works with professional bass player, Corinthian Bowersox, and together they're practicing "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes.
"It's fun to jam and watch people grow and be apart of the process," Bowersox said.
Musical education sparks creativity, helps with memory, and improves abstract reasoning skills. For Salma, it's also broadening her horizons and inspiring her to dream in new directions.
"I hope to one day actually produce music," she said.
LINK: Tickets & Information for Sing It to Me Santa concert
The Sing It To Me Santa concert is Friday, December 8, 2023, at the Mission Ballroom in Denver at 7:30 p.m.
