Riverside, CA – the City of Arts and Innovation – lives up to its name as the first ever Harmony Project to be sponsored by a municipality, and conceived as a city-wide initiative.
With lead support coming from the Riverside Arts Academy Community Board and Parks and Recreation Department, this project also brings together the Office of the Mayor, the Police Department, Riverside and Alvord Unified School Districts and a consortium of local institutions of higher education. The entire community of Riverside has embraced Harmony Project of America’s Mentoring Through Music as an education equity issue: a way to help all children achieve academic success and reach their true potential.
The hub of Harmony Project Riverside is at Riverside Arts Academy, which offers after school group instrumental classes, choir and Saturday youth orchestra, lead by Music Director Alpin Hong, a gifted concert pianist and educator. Both Alvord Unified and Riverside Unified School Districts have integrated Harmony Project during the school day and after school. In addition, both school districts plan to pilot Harmony Boost, HPA’s music integration literacy intervention for pre-kindergarten students. Students from both school districts are invited to attend afterschool and Saturday programming at RAA. In total, over 2600 students will be served this year throughout the city.The community aims to offer Harmony Project of America’s Mentoring Through Music to all students in Riverside as a long-term goal.
