D'Addario Foundation Awards $487,500 to Music Education Programs

This year, the grants focused specifically on historically underrepresented groups, immersive music education, mentorship, and percussion programs

The D'Addario Foundation has announced that it will award a total of $487,500 to 170 different music education providers in 104 different cities across the United States and Canada. The total sum represents a 13% increase in the amount of money awarded in 2020.

In 2021, the Foundation particularly focused on awarding grants to those organizations which support BIPOC students, such as the Sphinx Performance Academy, Buffalo String Works, and the Atlanta Music Project.

Founded in 1979, the D'Addario Foundation aims to support grassroots organizations that provide high-quality music education to students who would not otherwise have access to lessons. Alongside their biannual grant cycles, the organization also offers annual college scholarships and runs a Girls in Music initiative.

"A grant like this means that kids who may never have thought about music before get a chance to take part in something meaningful,” said Tom Gariepy of the Boys & Girls Club of St. Lucie County. “The days when kids get weekly music lessons in their schools — especially at-risk kids in underserved neighborhoods — seem to be long gone. We’re trying to take up the slack, and your grant will help us do it."