Annual Report

Third Street’s mission is to provide equitable access to music and dance education to New Yorkers of all ages.

From the Executive Director

Valerie G. Lewis

As our beaming students took their final bow to jubilant applause at our Summer Musical Theater Workshop presentation of Willy Wonka, I was once again awestruck by our Third Street community. In just three short weeks, our talented students memorized their lines, rehearsed together, supported one another, and formed new friendships that culminated in three outstanding performances. It’s moments like these that make me so proud of the powerful work that we do together all year long.

Third Street was founded 132 years ago with the spirit of community at its core. It began as a settlement house that offered refuge, support, and music education to immigrant families newly arrived to the Lower East Side. At that time, serving a community meant meeting the needs of your neighbors right outside your front door.

And while we continue to hold our history close, Third Street has grown and adapted to support our families in a rapidly changing world. Today, our community stretches far beyond our East Village home and can no longer be defined by a single neighborhood, age group, background, or artistic discipline.

Instead, we find community everywhere we look: from the courage of our adult students picking up an instrument for the very first time, or for the first time in years, to the excitement of first-graders starting their lessons in dozens of public schools across the five boroughs. It lives in the traditions that root us in our neighborhood, like our preschoolers returning each year to paint the majestic ginkgo trees in front of our building. And we feel it at our gala, where guests, honorees, and longtime supporters come together around a shared belief in Third Street’s mission and values.

I see it in my own life as well. As my youngest heads off to college, I’ll seek new ways to explore my artistry and connect more deeply with our community. From sharing a work-in-progress with our Adult Performance Workshop to exploring new music with my rock band, Psychedelic Stomp, there are ample opportunities to make connections at Third Street.

Third Street will continue to evolve, and so too will our understanding of what it means to serve and empower a community. But through it all, our shared belief in the importance of music and dance education—and its power to enrich lives—will continue to bring us together. I look forward to being in community with you in the year ahead.

Valerie G. Lewis, Executive Director, Third Street Music School

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