When most people think of a music program, they imagine children learning scales, mastering instruments, and taking the stage for end of year concerts. At Harmony Project, music education is only the beginning of a much larger journey. Behind every young artist rehearsing in our classrooms across the Los Angeles area is a dedicated team ensuring that their dedication on stage translates into lifelong achievement off stage.
Itzel (left) and Iliana (right) at the Harmony Project office.
That anchor is our College and Alumni Success Team (CAST). Led by CAST Manager, Iliana Avilia, and Scholarship Coordinator, Itzel Gomez-Cruz, this specialized department embodies our holistic commitment to child development. While our tuition free music instruction builds discipline, focus, and emotional intelligence, CAST provides the roadmap that turns potential into higher education degrees and successful careers.
Demystifying Higher Education for First-Generation Students
For many families in under-resourced Los Angeles communities, navigating the college admissions process can feel like an overwhelming maze. High school guidance counselors often manage caseloads of hundreds of students, leaving little room for individualized mentoring. CAST bridges that critical opportunity gap.
In the Class of 2026 a staggering 84 percent of our graduates were first-generation college bound students. They are pioneer figures in their households, taking steps toward higher education without a blueprint. CAST meets these students and families where they are, making the complex higher education system accessible and digestible.
The department provides a comprehensive suite of completely free services, including:
College Access & Selection Workshops: Guiding families through college searches, application requirements, and choosing institutions that best fit their academic and personal goals.
One-on-One Personal Statement Coaching: Pairing students with volunteers to help them articulate their lived experiences, artistic journeys, and future aspirations for their college applications.
Financial Literacy & Award Letter Breakdown: Helping with financial aid forms and other college-related paperwork so families can evaluate financial aid packages after acceptance letters arrive.
Alumni Engagement & Career Preparedness: Continuing mentorship beyond HS graduation to support undergraduates through degree completion and entry into professional careers.
Iliana, Brianna (HP 2025 Senior), and Itzel during a workshop event.
Because Iliana and Itzel navigate this work as first-generation college graduates themselves, their approach is rooted in personal empathy and cultural understanding. They understand the exact questions, fears, and hopes that first generation families carry, offering a trusted presence from application prep to college move in day.
Why Harmony Project Stands Apart
What makes Harmony Project a premier investment for philanthropists, foundations, and public sector grantors is our evidence-based model. Unlike traditional arts non profits that focus exclusively on performance, Harmony Project treats music education as a catalyst for systemic mobility.
While our music instruction rewires the brain for academic focus, CAST ensures that cognitive growth delivers concrete, long term outcomes. We do not stop serving students when they graduate high school. Instead, CAST walks alongside our young artists throughout their undergraduate journeys, offering ongoing academic check ins, and mentorship.
"Our perspective is different because even for our personal statement workshops, we recruit volunteers so they can work one-on-one with our students to ensure they have personalized support," says Avilia. "We are providing individualized support to ensure that all of our students have academic success, with the ultimate goal of getting them into their dream college and supporting them to make sure they graduate."
A vital pillar of this continuous care is the Jackie and Howard Banchik Scholarship. Created to alleviate the financial burdens that so often interrupt college completion, this program provides up to $5,000 in direct financial support divided across a student's four undergraduate years. To date, the Banchik Family Foundation has awarded over 850 HP graduates, serving as a financial bridge to degree completion.
Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus, Howard Banchik, and passionate board members Sandra Rosenbaum and Eydie Desser pose with excited Harmony Project graduates.
Proven Outcomes and Generational Impact
The results of this integrated approach speak for themselves:
100% High School Graduation Rate: Every single senior in the 2025-26 school year enrolled in our program completed high school. Since the institution of CAST in 2009, we have had a 98% high school graduation rate.
98% College Acceptance Rate: Virtually all our graduates transition directly into institutions of higher learning.
Top National Institutions: Harmony Project alumni have earned degrees at prestigious universities including Yale, Stanford, Dartmouth, MIT, Princeton, and top California campuses like UCLA and UC Berkeley.
High Demand Career Pathways: Over half of our recent high school graduates are pursuing degrees in high growth STEM fields including engineering, biology, computer science, and neuroscience.
When donors invest in Harmony Project, they are not just buying an instrument or funding music lessons. Supporters are fueling a proven, multigenerational engine for economic mobility and community equity.
Celebrating the Culmination of Hard Work
For the CAST team, the true reward comes when years of effort culminate with graduation.
"Seeing the hard work pay off is the most exciting part of this job," shares Ilana Avilia. "Our students spend years dedicated to their music, and seeing them accepted into their dream colleges is unforgettable."
Harmony Project staff celebrating with a graduate and family.
"For me, it comes down to graduation day," adds Gomez-Cruz. "Being in that room celebrating with families, seeing the pure joy of parents thanking us, and watching our students walk across the stage in their cap and gown; that moment reminds our young people that they belong. They worked hard, they earned their spot, and we are proud to stand with them."
By combining music education with college access support, Harmony Project ensures that every student's potential is fully realized, transforming families and communities across Los Angeles for generations to come.
About Harmony Project:
Harmony Project is a nonprofit that provides high-quality music instruction and social support to children year-round at no cost throughout 51 community hubs in Los Angeles. As one of Los Angeles’ largest music education organizations, Harmony Project is dedicated exclusively to serving children from low-income families and under-resourced communities. Harmony Project envisions a world in which all students have equal access to opportunities to learn how to play music and the resources needed to thrive in college and beyond. Harmony Project’s holistic approach to student success has resulted in impressive outcomes with 98 percent of the graduating high school class accepted to a college or university during the 2025-2026 academic year.