The Service Learning Community was an amazing experience. It really helped me to grow as a first year student. Music was the most important thing to me in high school and it was challenging leaving it all behind. I decided to focus my service project on the inequality of music education in schools, especially schools in financially struggling areas. The Empire State Youth Orchestra has a program called CHIME which gives underprivileged children free musical training. I knew about this program when I was still in high school, but I never volunteered there. This project was the perfect opportunity to work with these children. I decided to volunteer at CHIME because this is the closest thing I will be to being a music teacher. I think I would be a music teacher if I didn't come to cello so late. I have a lot of experience with young children and I love teaching my non music friends how to play an instrument. These children come from really uncertain families. I love being there for this kids and supporting them as they learn challenging music. The first week when I volunteered, I mostly gave one on one violin/cello lessons. I was thrown into it and I had …show more content…
I am so passionate about music and ESYO. I want to be involved with the arts for the rest of my life. Everyone needs to find that passion. This experience was also an eye opener. I come from a fairly wealthy district so we always have good instruments and ESYO is mainly students from wealthier families. The instruments at CHIME are not in the best condition, they students have behavioral problems, and so many other issues. I take little things such as having private for lessons for granted. As a future teacher, I want to help my students find something that they love. I will definitely be volunteering at CHIME anytime that I am