Give the gift of music!
Will you support young musicians pursuing their dreams?
The moment a student finds their instrument, there are no more words.
Their language becomes the notes that they play. And how they make music expresses who they are.
At GreenSpring International Academy of Music, we believe in the transformative power of music.
In 1999, a group of 37 students from Richmond City Public Schools - the largest group at this time - signed up for harp lessons, taught by Lynnelle Ediger, then a Richmond City School music teacher. Practicing on loaned instruments, they worked towards the “impossible” goal of performing in Carnegie Hall. Two years later, the students debuted on that stage in New York City and the HARPS Foundation (now GreenSpring) was born.
(First Carnegie Hall performance with some of the students from Richmond City Public Schools, 2001)
Our mission is to develop programs and performance opportunities for all children and youth, regardless of financial means or disability, utilizing music as a catalyst for personal growth, community service, and social change. In keeping with our statement on cultural equity, all interested students regardless of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or religion have access to conservatory-level instruction, therapeutic music instruction, community service and performance opportunities in order to create a more beautiful, just and equitable world through music.
Our range of music offerings include:
- An innovative and equitable virtual and in-person curriculum developed by GreenSpring in partnership with music education experts world-wide for one-on-one and group learning. Our curriculum is curated to represent the diversity of our student population so students feel represented.
- Access to our roster of global faculty.
- Instrument loan program to address the need gap for students.
- Access to our tiered structure of performance ensembles. We offer year round programs, following the academic semester schedule with summer programming & a hybrid (virtual) option is included within all of our programming: education, performances, & outreach programs.
EDUCATION: provides classes, tuition, and lessons.
PERFORMANCE: provides 5 different ensembles, of which include the American Youth Harp Ensemble who has toured locally as well as globally.
OUTREACH: provides programs for low-wealth students and those with physical and mental disabilities:
- Sound Experiences - a tuition-free music education for underserved youth with limited access to formal music education in partnership and on site with the Boys and Girls Clubs in both Richmond and Petersburg.
- Harp Therapy - a tuition-free music instruction program for students with mental and physical disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome and other emotional and neurological disorders. This innovative program, in partnership with the Resources for Independent Living Center since 1995 and located at our facility, utilizes the harp and peer mentors from our Music Education Program to develop musical, psychosocial, and physical skills in youth.
WAYS TO GIVE:
- Donating to the GreenSpring Foundation is the most direct way to support our students, ensembles and outreach programs. The average scholarship for students in our outreach program is $525, which provides a full semester of lessons and performance opportunities. Gifts of all sizes are appreciated!
- Offering in-kind donations of music and equipment. Do you have an instrument you no longer play or need? We have gratefully accepted harps, grand pianos, and more.
- Go grocery shopping! When you designate HARPS Foundation as your charity, Kroger donates a portion of sales to us at no cost to you. Visit their website to set up your Community Rewards charity.
To donate by mail:
GreenSpring Foundation (formerly the HARPS Foundation)
4101 Grove Avenue
Richmond, VA 23221
YOUR DONATION PROVIDES:
- Conservatory-level instruction, community service and world-class performance opportunities to more than 800 youth
- The gift of music to audiences 1,000,000+ in Virginia and around the globe
- Unique arts opportunities that directly address poverty barriers for Central Virginia youth (Sound Experiences)
- Programming for physically and mentally challenged youth to develop musical, physical and social skills (Harp Therapy)
- A calmer, more supportive environment for elderly residents of retirement homes, assisted living facilities and senior centers (Young At Harp)
- Therapeutic harp music to patients, families, and staff in healthcare facilities (Harping in the Hospitals)
- Concerts, educational programs, and community events drawing audiences from Central Virginia and across the region
- High-quality, curriculum-based music education, with a focus on music theory and musicianship
- Professional music instruction to children of all ages, regardless of financial means
- Conservatory instructors encouraging mastery through education, disciplined practice, and performance guidance
- Affordable, high-quality instruction aimed at fostering family involvement and bringing music to demographics that are otherwise underexposed
- Instilling youth with a love of music and appreciation for the arts
Today, students from GreenSpring have played at Carnegie Hall a dozen times. GreenSpring has provided music education for 4,000+ students; alumni have received full scholarships to conservatories and universities to pursue professional music careers. That first group of students, now in their 30s, recall their experience as a defining moment, one saying: “if I could play at Carnegie Hall, I can do anything.”
We believe Carnegie Hall is for all students and that music has the power to change the trajectory of a young person’s life.
At GreenSpring, we transform lives through instruction, performances and community engagement in order to create a more beautiful, equitable world through music and your donations help us do just that.