The People's Music School

#BoardSpotlight Meet Board Chair Steven E. Shaw. Steven has led on the People's board since 2019, and most recently served as Vice Chair and chair of our Governance & Nominating Committee. Steven brings leadership expertise and a lifelong passion for music to the role, and we’re grateful to have him guiding us forward. Steven has over 20 years of experience spanning the private, government and nonprofit sectors, particularly providing administration and advisory services. Steven leads Community Engagement efforts across the Midwest within the Public Policy & Government Affairs practice at Verizon. This Community Engagement role encompasses three primary areas: Education & Advocacy, Partnership (grantmaking), and Thought Leadership. Prior to Verizon, Steven was the Interim Executive Director of the KLEO Center, a Southside community-based nonprofit organization. In his most recent government work, Steven served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle; this role included external responsibilities such as representing the President at government forums and community events, and internally advising the Bureau of Economic Development and the Office of the Chief Information Officer in executing a billion dollar project portfolio. Prior to working for the County, Steven was an Associate Principal at Civic Consulting Alliance, providing strategy and management advisory services for public sector clients; one of his Civic Consulting clients was Cook County and Steven's consulting team created the County's Economic Development strategy. Steven began his career as a Strategy & Operations Business Analyst at Deloitte Consulting. In addition to his role at The People’s Music School, Steven is also on the board of Social Responsibility Chicago and the board of the African American Legacy Fund of the Chicago Community Trust. Steven is a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in Economics from Morehouse College, and a Master in Public Administration degree, with a focus on nonprofits and social enterprise, from the Harvard Kennedy School. Steven grew up with music, playihng the clarinet in grade school, and singing in the school choir. He was a member of the Morehouse College Glee Club and sang in the CSO Community Choir in his young adulthood. The People's Music School is always looking for devoted leaders and advocates to join our Board of Directors. Know someone? Let us know! #PeoplesMusicSchool #Board #Leadership

Are you a General Music teacher who loves little ones? We have openings on the North and South sides at The People's Music School! Apply today! https://lnkd.in/ggRyVNMv

This #HispanicHeritageMonth, I am humbled to steward the legacy of legendary Latina leader Rita Simó as President and CEO of The People's Music School. I do so while trying to live up the values of the most important Hispanic person in my life: my mom, Carmen Arriaga Goldberg. My mother is a Mexican-American woman and first generation college graduate who grew up on the South Side of San Antonio. Like Rita was, she is entrepreneurial, ambitious, and tenacious. She taught me and my brother Aaron Goldberg, MD, PhD not only to work hard and pursue our dreams, but to seek opportunities to use our privileges and blessings to serve others. As a child, I watched her as a founding board member of the San Antonio Children's Museum (now The DoSeum), relentlessly advocating to realize a vision that would bring joy and learning to San Antonio's children for decades to come. She was so effective on every nonprofit board she joined, it became a running joke in my family that they never let her step away - she was too good to lose. My mom saw to it that my brother and I received an education in music. From our infancy, she enrolled us in music instruction, first in "Mom and Me" classes that had us clapping out rhythms and plinking on glockenspiels, followed by twelve years in private piano lessons for us both. She insisted on this not because she aspired for us to become professional musicians, but because she understood the lifelong benefits such a rigorous education would confer. "Music is math," she says, to this day. When I talk about what we're doing at People's, I often tell people that we're giving our students what my mom gave to me and my brother: a lifelong gift that has shaped me academically, emotionally, aesthetically, and now professionally. Working at People's makes me feel both deeply connected to my roots and centered in stewarding a legacy of my own family values. It means so much to me when I can speak to our families in Spanish, when I walk through the Latino neighborhoods we serve and recognize some of the Mexican cultural rhythms of my native San Antonio. I recognize my own mother's values when I speak to our students' families and hear the depth of their love, hopes, and dreams for their children. I often regret that I never had the opportunity to meet Rita herself, but I'm guessing she and my mom would have seen eye to eye on a few things. This month, I am grateful for my heritage, my family, and for the privilege of leading this deeply rooted institution.

Happy #HispanicHeritageMonth! The People's Music School is proud to be a Latina-founded, Latina-led institution. Head to our website to learn about our nearly fifty-year history, from our founding in 1976 by Juilliard-trained Dominican immigrant Dr. Rita Simó, to our present day, led by President & CEO Miriam Goldberg Owens, lifelong musician and proud Latina. https://lnkd.in/gnBXjFY9 #LatinaFounded #LatinaLed

I’m excited to announce that I’ve joined the board of The People's Music School in Chicago! 🎶 The People's Music School is the largest completely free music school in the Chicago metropolitan area, providing high-quality, tuition-free music education to children. 🎵 Our mission focuses on fostering musical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth in students, while instilling values of responsibility, self-esteem, resilience, and purpose. 🎻 I am privileged to lend my skills and enthusiasm to this important cause and am eager to work alongside an amazing team to make a difference in our community. 🌟 To learn more about our work, visit https://lnkd.in/gTjus7Cq or follow us on LinkedIn. #MusicEducation #CommunityImpact #ThePeoplesMusicSchool #ChicagoMusic 🎼

For eight years, The People's Music School has been providing 100% free music education to students across the Southwest sides at its Back of The Yards program. And it's only growing. Get to know our Back of the Yards program and read about its impact on the Rivera Granado family in this article from Block Club Chicago: https://lnkd.in/g-nG8zfn #MusicEducationMatters #BackofTheYards #Community

Congratulations to SLAM bassoon student Hudson, who has been chosen to join the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) on tour in Bogotá, Colombia this month! 🌎 🎶 Hudson will be part of a group of young musicians from multiple countries across South America. The orchestra, comprised of musicians from these communities, ill rehearse and convene for 4 full days and conclude with a performance under the baton of Maestro Gustavo Dudamel. Hudson was chosen based on his performance in YOLA National Festival 2024, his commitment and dedication to YOLA National Festival in previous years, and his exceptional ambassadorship for YOLA, YOLA National, and The People's Music School. We are beyond proud to see Hudson representing The People's Music School on a global scale. Los Angeles Philharmonic #YOLA #PowerofMusic

The People's Music School is pleased to welcome Christie Crouch to our Board of Directors! Christie is a seasoned marketing executive with over 20 years of experience leading brands in Consumer Packaged Goods. Currently serving as Vice President and General Manager at Conagra Brands, she has a history of transforming brands towards growth and profitability. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy (BS) and later attended Harvard Business School where she earned her Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA). Passionate about community service, Christie has volunteered with various youth organizations as a head coach and troop leader. As a newly elected board member, she is thrilled to bring her skills and expertise to aid the mission of The People’s Music School. In her free time, Christie is a voracious reader, enjoys cooking and experiencing new foods, practicing yoga, and spending time with her family. Welcome, Christie - we're excited to have you onboard!

Soso Granado, a Back of the Yards parent, feels grateful to be able to have her daughter attend The People's Music School. "To see the confidence in her, she's more disciplined, she excels academically--and it's a free tuition? What mom doesn't want that!" Hear Soso, her daughter Sofia, and President & CEO Miriam Goldberg Owens talk about the impact of The People's Music School on families in Back of The Yards. "I feel blessed to be able to have my daughter go to this program in our community," says Soso. Watch The People's Music School on WGN-TV and learn how intensive music education can transform the lives of so many students just like Sofia: https://lnkd.in/gYr_akhw

Congratulations to TPMS alum and D'Addario Foundation scholarship recipient Lupe! 🎉 🎼