Over the course of the next four years, with Mark’s help, I learned how to sing that Bflat. I also learned what it meant to apply myself to something over the course of years; how to focus; how to take measured risks; how to sing in German, French and Italian. While I didn’t know it at the time, Mark was (and still is) my mentor.
Today, I recognize the role that Mark and music have played shaping me into who I am. I also recognize that the majority of students in America are without the opportunity for a similar experience because of the prohibitively high cost of private lessons. Those costs are legitimate. Professional artists need to earn a living wage.
Providing mentorship through private lessons and fairly compensating professional artists are the two challenges Michael and I set out to solve. We’re a long way from every child in the country, but with the help of an amazing group of supporters we have:
- Paid nearly $1,000,000 to professional artists since ArtSmart began
- Provided 20,000 lessons, in seven cities across the country
- Developed a unique curriculum that uses music to teach students how to set and achieve goals in any area of their life
- Helped realize hundreds of individual success stories
Teaching and mentorship fuel my passion as an artist. To find out more, I invite you to visit www.artsmart.org