Little Masters Project

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We are excited to announce that the Little Masters Project will be returning for another season! With support from the University of Delaware, the UD Partnership for Arts & Culture, and the generosity of our donors, this program gives students with limited financial means the opportunity to learn an instrument FREE of charge. Participants will receive:

• A free instrument, which is theirs to keep upon completion of the program.
  
• Instruments offered: Violin, Viola, Cello, ​​Guitar, Piano, Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, and Drums.​​
• Students who already own/play an instrument and want to take lessons are also encouraged to apply.
• Free private music lessons at the University of Delaware.
  
• Jam Session Saturdays where they can collaborate with their peers.
• Performance opportunities at the end of each semester.
  

Fall – 2023

• Lessons will begin the week of September 11 and run for 12 weeks, with a break Thanksgiving week.
• Jam Session Saturdays on September 30, November 4, and December 2, 2023, will give the students an opportunity to collaborate with their peers and be coached by LMP teachers.
  
• Celebration of our Little Masters Project with a Recital on Sunday, December 10, 2023.

Spring – 2024

• Lessons will begin the week of February 12 and run for 12 weeks, with a spring break the week of March 25.
• Jam Session Saturdays on March 16, April 13, and May 4, will continue the collaboration with their peers and coaching with LMP teachers.
  
• Celebration of our Little Masters Project with a Recital on Saturday, May 11, 2024.

If you have any questions, please contact us​ at mpoutreach@udel.edu​. 

Step 1: Please click "apply now" and fill out the application form. (The application cycle for the 2023-2024 program year has now ended. The application link for the 2024-2025 program year will be posted in spring 2024.)

Step 2: Complete the ​​Appli​cation for Financial Aid​, which must be printed and then mailed or hand-delivered to: Little Masters Project, Amy E. du Pont Music Building, Room 209, Newark, DE 19716.

Step 3: Once we receive your completed application (Items 1 and 2), we will review your materials and may contact you to set up an interview. These interviews are important as it allows us to meet you, discuss the program, and help you to make an informed decision about the best instrument for your child.​

If accepted into the program, we will set up an orientation session and connect you with an LMP private teacher to schedule your child's lessons.

In September of 2017, the UD Little Masters Project (LMP), presented by the UD Master Players Concert Series, was launched to provide free private music lessons, music theory classes and instruments to children of low-income households in Delaware and the nearby tri-state areas. The mission of LMP is to provide music education and opportunities to students in need, removing systemic barriers to achievement. We believe that experiencing music at all levels is transformative, and essential for children of all backgrounds.

During adolescence, music makes a major contribution to the development of self-identity and is seen as a source of support when young people are feeling troubled or lonely. Music creates opportunities to meet new people, find a sense of belonging, and provides a way for youth to express and explore their emotions. The many added benefits of studying music include brain growth (studies in neuroscience show that music can enhance brain function in children), language skills, math skills, memory, attention and concentration, increased coordination, discipline, and social skills. The Little Masters Project not only embraces teaching music, but focuses on engaging the student as a whole.​

The Little Masters Project is made possible, in part, by the generosity of dedicated friends who value the arts in our community. The following list recognizes contributions received from June 15, 2021 to April 15, 2022. A special thanks to council member Randy Stone for spearheading our most recent, highly successful fundraising campaign in Winter 2021.

In order to continue our program and bring the gift of music to additional students, we are launching a new crowdfunding program through the University of Delaware and we need your help.

Click here to donate!​

We are also accepting donations of new or gently used instruments and online learning gear (iPads, headphones, webcams, interfaces, USB mics, etc.) for the students; contact us at masterplayers@udel.edu to make arrangements for delivery. All donations are tax-deductible, and the more we raise, the more kids we can help.

For more information about how to support LMP, contact us at masterplayers@udel.edu.

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