HARMONY Mentoring

Apr 28

PBHA's HARMONY Mentoring (HARMONY) serves the Cambridge community by enlisting college students to provide free music lessons to low-income K-12 mentees. Since the early 1990s, student volunteers have been providing free one-on-one music lessons to under-resourced children in local public schools who cannot afford and/or access traditional private music instruction. We welcome instrumentalists and vocalists from all backgrounds to join our community.

HARMONY volunteers dedicate at least one hour each week to providing the highest quality instruction to their mentees. During weekly meetings, volunteers often begin with technique and review, before moving into new material. Mentors and mentees develop a close relationship founded in mutual learning and respect, which can continue over the course of multiple semesters and years.

HARMONY’s goal is to bridge the financial divide that keeps musical instruments out of the hands of young musicians. Music education has a boundless impact on the Cambridge community, both now and in the future. Coming out of the chaos of the pandemic, music represents a creative outlet through which youth can express themselves, having major benefits for their mental health. Moreover, as our mentees grow, they will be able to share their gift of music with many others in Cambridge.

Mission

HARMONY’s goal is to bridge the financial divide that keeps musical instruments out of the hands of young musicians. Music education has a boundless impact on the Cambridge community, both now and in the future. Coming out of the chaos of the pandemic, music represents a creative outlet through which youth can express themselves, having major benefits for their mental health. Moreover, as our mentees grow, they will be able to share their gift of music with many others in Cambridge.

We accept volunteers year-round, but recruit most heavily at the beginning of the semester to conduct program-wide training and onboarding. We accept primarily college volunteers who apply through the PBHA common application for volunteers.

To apply for a spot in HARMONY Mentoring, please fill out the PBHA common application. We will match applicants based on demand for mentors and demonstrated need.
Matching happens within the first couple of weeks on the college semester, so applicants should submit their forms early. The form can be found on the PBHA website.