Every other week on NHPR, we highlight a local nonprofit that’s providing a great service for the Granite State. On this week’s Give Back New Hampshire, our focus is on the Concord Community Music School.
Founded in 1984, its mission is to provide the widest array of music education, performance and engagement opportunities to people of all ages.
This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
Daniel Acsadi: My name is Daniel Acsadi, and I'm the executive director of Concord Community Music School.
Maria Isaak: My name is Maria Isaak. I'm the director of the Purple Finches youth choruses. The Concord Community Music School was founded by a woman named Peggy Senter. This was her brainchild. I think at any given semester, we have students from six months to people in their 90s taking lessons or being part of ensembles here. It's a place for anyone. It's a very friendly atmosphere.
Daniel Acsadi: The music school serves all of New Hampshire. We have people from 92 communities here in New Hampshire, including some towns in Vermont, in Maine, and Massachusetts as well. So a lot of people join us from many different areas. And we, of course, also have online lessons available as well.
This is truly a home for musical friendships. We have families who are on their third generation here at the music school. Some people who were here as students and are now here as faculty as well, or parents of other students. So it is truly that home for musical friendships.
Maria Isaak: Then there's high schoolers that come back and pay it forward. They act as assistants, learning teaching skills as they go, and some office skills and accompanying skills and things of that nature.
Eowyn: My name is Eowyn.
Zephyra: My name is Zephyra. I came before I was really supposed to because my sister did it for a very long time, and I kind of hung out. It's very fun. I have a whole bunch of friends here that I wouldn't know any other way. Maria and I have like a really good relationship since we've known each other for seven years or something — probably longer since I was here with Eowyn.
Eowyn: Since I was really, really little, I've always really liked to sing, but everything that I learned, Maria taught me, and everything else that I do with my other activities, because I do lots of other music stuff, I wouldn't be able to do without this experience. So I was just really lucky to be able to do the choir for as long as I did and still be able to help out and learn, even though I'm no longer a part of the choir.
Maria Isaak: So you want to cue into what Eowyn is doing, so you can hear it.
Eowyn: Yeah, I definitely think that you can learn so much from even just coming for half of the year, and you make so many great friends because you just come in and everybody welcomes you, and it's just a great learning environment.
Zephyra: Definitely join. It's a great experience and you learn a lot from it.
