Third Street Music School Settlement
Overview
Founded in 1894 Third Street Music School Settlement is the longest-running community music school in the United States and can be found at 235 East 11th Street, New York. Third Street has three main programs: a music & dance school[1], a music-infused Preschool[2], and a Partners program. It also works with New York City Department of Education on training Pre-K teachers in music education.
| Third Street Music School Settlement | |
|---|---|
 Third Street Music School building. | |
| Address | |
 | |
235 E. 11th Street New York City , New York | |
| Coordinates | 40°43′52″N 73°59′13″W / 40.731°N 73.987°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Established | 1894 |
| Executive Director | Valerie Lewis |
| Campus | Urban |
| Information | 212-777-3240 |
| Website | http://www.thirdstreetmusicschool.org |
Programs
Music and Dance School
Third Street Music School settlement offers classes for ages 3 and up, with a range of classes in dance, music and ensemble.
Preschool
Opening in 1976, Third Street Preschool[3] provides music-enriched learning with a focus on experiential play. They offer care for children from 1–5 years of age with the philosophy to: "instill in young children a deep curiosity about their world and to equip them with the tools they need to explore it"[4].
Partners Program
Third Street Partners Program[5] provides music and dance instruction to over 25 New York City public schools.
History
Third Street Music School is the longest-running community music school in the United States, and was founded in New York City in 1894 by Emilie Wagner, a 27-year-old graduate of Goucher College. Wagner's goal was to "help poor children of the Lower East Side with music to provide a source of spiritual and cultural nourishment, inspire achievement in its young students, and serve as a universal language for the community’s Jewish, Irish, Italian, Russian, Greek and Hungarian immigrants."[6] Its roots can be traced to the late 19th-century settlement house movement. Wagner began teaching violin and piano to 10 students under the auspices of College Settlement of New York in the basement of Mariner's Temple. As she added students, the Music School moved to Rivington Street. Third Street Music School Settlement became an official entity in 1903[6] and was renamed Music School Settlement, with 13 volunteer faculty and 140 students, and 200 on the waitlist. Board president Helen Mansfield persuaded the organization in 1905, to invest in two small brownstones at 33–35 East Third Street. By 1915, Ms. Wagner's vision had inspired similar music school settlements in thirty American cities. Third Street moved to its current location, on East 11th street, in 1974.
Mission
The school's mission statement is:
"Third Street Music School Settlement provides high-quality music and dance education through on-site, public-school and community programs, as well as an arts-infused preschool, to New Yorkers of all ages, regardless of background, artistic ability or economic circumstance. Our programs are taught by exceptional faculty in an environment that nurtures individual achievement and creativity, affording students the opportunity to reach their full musical potential while developing a life-long love of the arts."
Notable faculty and students
[clarification needed They should be shown separately.]
- Annette A. Aguilar (faculty)
- Matthew Barnson
- Lee Feldman (faculty)
- Chester Edward Ide (faculty)
- William Kapell (alum)
- Robert Lopez (alum)
- David Mannes
- Ingrid Michaelson (alum)
- Jessie Montgomery (alum)
- Sylvia Rabinof (alum)
- Beatrice Rippy
- Masumi Per Rostad (alum)
- Julius Rudel
- Ralph Shapey
- Lucy Shelton
- Gregory Spears (faculty)
- Milagro Vargas (alum)
- Robert Ward (faculty)
- Alex Weiser (faculty)
Notable advisory board members
Early benefactors
References
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2014) |
- ^ "Third Street Music School Settlement • Bringing the arts to life since 1894". Third Street Music School Settlement. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
- ^ "Our Philosophy". Third Street Preschool. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
- ^ https://thirdstreetpreschool.org/
- ^ https://thirdstreetpreschool.org/our-philosophy/
- ^ https://thirdstreetmusicschool.org/third-street-partners-programs/
- ^ a b Moskowitz, Sam (2019-10-04). "Third Street Music School's Long Journey to 11th Street". GVSHP | Preservation | Off the Grid. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
- ^ "Elizabeth Sprague Collidge", p. 7, The Maud Powell Signature, Winter 1997, Vol. 2, No. 1, The Maud Powell Society for Music Education