Music Outreach Program

Youth choristers sing at Trinity Church

How Trinity is bringing the gift of high-quality music education to young New Yorkers. 

Trinity Church provides highly interactive educational experiences to hundreds of students in New York City through its music outreach program. 

Our student-centered philosophy of education caters to the individual goals of each community. We’ve worked with multiple neighborhood organizations to help young people experience the joy of music making. During the 2024-2025 school year, we’re sending our 13 professional teaching artists and two teaching fellows to 10 sites in the city, including schools and afterschool centers. All our classes are co-taught by two expert teaching artists and our lessons are intended for all students, regardless of music background. 

We specialize in providing music education in locations where access may be unavailable due to funding and resource limitations. Our work focuses on meeting the needs and goals of each individual community to create collaborative and engaging programming.

One of our longest-running collaborations has been with the Chinese-American Planning Council. For the past 12 years, Trinity has provided music classes to over 800 students a year, including instruction in songwriting, ukulele, guitar, movement, and chorus.

If you are interested in collaborating with Trinity’s music outreach program, please contact Peyton Marion, Assistant Director of Music Education and Outreach.

Our Class Offerings 

Musical Beginnings (2-4 years) – This early education course focuses on music as a vehicle for fine and gross motor skill development, social-emotional learning, and creative play.  

Music and Movement (Grades K-2) – This course integrates music with movement and emphasizes social-emotional development. Students are taught to make music as a group, with an eye towards advancing the class as a whole.  

Chorus (Grades 2-12) – This group singing class helps students learn repertoire from all genres, while building general music literacy skills.  

Recorder (Grade 4) – Using curriculum from Carnegie Hall’s Link Up program, students in this class learn to play the recorder. This course includes a culminating performance at Carnegie Hall.  

Ukelele (Grades 2-4) – In this beginner ukelele class, students explore music from all genres and enhance their music literacy, ensemble, and solo playing skills.  Students also learn to play while singing. 

Guitar (Grade 5 and High School) – These beginning and advanced classes are for students who have taken ukelele or have previous musical experience.  Students play popular music and build solo and ensemble skills.  Students will learn to play while singing. 

Songwriting and Technology (Grades 3-4 and High School) – This group class explores song structure and creation through poetry, music history, music theory and music technologies.   

Collaborating Organizations and Sites 

Chinese-American Planning Council 

  • Chrystie Street Center 

  • School-age Child Care Center at PS 130 

  • School-age Child Care Center at PS 2 

  • School-age Child Care Center at PS 124 

  • High School for Dual Language and Asian Studies 

Chinese Methodist Center Corporation 

  • Mei Wah Center 

NYC Department of Education 

  • PS 19Q 

Henry Street Settlement 

  • Jacob Riis Cornerstone 

  • Afterschool at PS 134 

University Settlement 

  • Early Childhood Center at 184 Eldridge Street 

 

JAZZ HOUSE KiDS  

Trinity Church is educating the next generation of music-makers in jazz, America’s home-grown art form.  

Through a collaboration with JAZZ HOUSE KiDS, a New Jersey-based community arts organization, we’ve created JAZZ HOUSE NYC, a free, rich, authentic, and robust jazz education program open to all Trinity Youth. Part of Trinity’s Afterschool program, the initiative expands access to free musical training and jazz education.  

Our classes, which take place at Trinity Commons, introduce students to small and large group ensembles, improvisation, jazz vocals, and African drumming. Students can choose to study saxophone, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, flute, piano or guitar. To reduce barriers, novice learners receive loaner instrument to kickstart their musical journeys. 

Through an annual college fair, we give students interested in becoming professional musicians the tools and confidence they need to continue pursuing their goals long after they leave JAZZ HOUSE classrooms.