Keyboards for Kids

City School of the Arts (CSA) welcomed its inaugural sixth grade class in the fall of 2016, and currently serves 280 sixth through eighth graders in lower Manhattan. The mission of New York City Charter School of the Arts is to inspire a diverse community of young people to engage with the arts as a pathway to rich and rigorous academic scholarship and a creative, purposeful life. One area in which CSA has pursued this mission is through its foundational piano program, taught by co-founder and Artistic Director Dr. Geoffrey Kiorpes. All incoming 6th graders take a core piano class, with many returning in 7th and 8th grades to continue their study. In addition to performing solos in many showcases and recitals, CSA has had over 100 piano students receive outstanding scores at the annual New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) festival at NYU. As remote learning became standard, CSA's piano class could no longer thrive in its traditional piano lab environment, as many students do not have a keyboard at home. The Keyboards for Kids campaign will ensure that all incoming 6th grade students have an electric keyboard at home, as well as any 7th and 8th graders choosing to continue their study. This will enable our piano students to begin their music studies strong, regardless of the challenges of COVID-19 and will create equity for all students. Creativity is critical in helping students thrive and stay connected to joy and self expression. A donation of 325 dollars covers a complete package including a keyboard, stand, headphones, and a music book. Donations of any amount are of course gratefully accepted. Special thanks to the Mockingbird Foundation ( a non-profit formed by fans of the band Phish), for their generous gift of $1,000 to kick off our campaign! Websites: City School of the Arts CSA Piano Channel on YouTube