I founded the Harmony Program in 2003 while working as a policy advisor in the New York City Mayor's Office. As a musician, I could not accept the fact that our culturally rich city failed to provide so many of its students with a quality music education, so I created a pilot program to train musicians to teach in communities in need.

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I fell in love with the work instantly. Then things got interesting. I left City Hall, incorporated the Harmony Program, and after a few years of cobbling together part-time jobs to support myself while I incubated my young organization, I decided to make a dramatic change. I applied for, and was awarded, a Fulbright Fellowship to move to Caracas, Venezuela to learn first-hand from the renowned social and cultural program, "El Sistema."

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My year in Venezuela dramatically broadened my perspective on the impact of music on our communities and our lives. Upon my return to New York City, I adapted tenets of El Sistema's successful model to the needs of the City, and today the Harmony Program serves as arguably the nation's first "El Sistema-inspired" organization, continuing to thrive and bring musical opportunities to children across the five boroughs.

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For more on my story and the founding of the Harmony Program: LinkedIn.com

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