MISSION

Investing in Children & Communities Through Music

Harmony Project is an award-winning research-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that targets at-risk youth in underserved areas of Los Angeles. We promote positive youth development through on-going year-round music lessons and ensemble participation.

Our mission is:

We accomplish this by: Bringing quality music instruction and ensemble playing to children who otherwise would not have access to it; complementing music education with supporting resources and opportunities; and, fostering a community of families that actively support their children’s growth and development.

Core Values

These are the values that are at the center of what we do here at Harmony Project:

Commitment: It all began with commitment to the idea that young people from low-income families should have the chance to learn music, and to develop themselves and their communities through music. Harmony Project commits to our students for their entire childhood. Harmony Project has thrived through the commitment of board members, staff, teachers, students, parents, community partners, and sponsors.

Community: We build a feeling of community amongst our students and families within each program Hub. That sense of community carries through to our teachers, our staff, our board, and our relationships with community partners and sponsors. Harmony Project youth orchestras bring joy and promise to the communities in which they develop.

Collaboration: We help our students learn to collaborate with one another in orchestras and classes, and to collaborate within their own families. Students have now begun to give lessons to less-advanced peers through our Peer Mentor program. Teachers, staff and board members help one another learn and grow. Harmony Project’s rapid growth has been sustained through collaborations with community partners like LA City College, the LA Phil, Expo Center, and LA Unified School District’s Beyond the Bell.

Respect: Harmony Project teachers and staff demonstrate respect for the talent and potential of our students. Our students learn to respect themselves, their fellow students, and their teachers – and they learn to respect the tremendous commitment their parents make to support their music studies. Harmony Project teachers, staff, board, community partners and sponsors all share a profound respect for Harmony Project’s mission.

Responsibility: Harmony Project students develop responsibility by managing their time, practicing their instruments, and learning the material that is assigned to them. Orchestra members are responsible to one another, and the quality of a performance demonstrates the contribution of each member. Through Harmony Project, students learn to take responsibility for their own growth and development, and to help their fellow students learn. As they develop, students also learn they have a responsibility to lend a hand and “give back” to their community. They become responsible citizens.

Integrity: The word “integrity” comes from a Latin word that means “whole” or “complete”. Harmony Project board, staff, and teachers give their full best effort to this work, and Harmony Project students learn to do the same. This means we are always looking for ways to improve the program, and we are always learning and growing.

Sustainability: We are committed to finding ways to sustain Harmony Project for the benefit of current and future students. As our students begin teaching their less-advanced peers, we see that our own students will increasingly be responsible for staffing and sustaining Harmony Project programs. We also seek to help our students think about and demonstrate the principles of sustainability within their own families, communities, and world.

Download our Research Basis Summary [PDF]