Press

The Key to Change Solo String Festival:

Creating Equal Opportunities for Young Musicians in South King County

Over the past two years, Key to Change has woven itself into the musical fabric of South King County, making world-class music instruction available and financially accessible to underserved students all throughout our region.

This year, we are taking that mission a step further with the launch of our Solo String Festival on April 13! This all-day event offers middle and high school students in our region a bigger stage, providing not only performance opportunities but also a chance to attend a college preparation workshop, meet professional musicians, and compete to win prizes.

The first of its kind in our region, the Solo String Festival gives young musicians the opportunity to perform in a supportive and community-centered environment. The event is designed specifically for string students in South King County, allowing participants to perform alongside other musicians of a similar age, background, and experience level. The festival also includes both competitive and non-competitive divisions, setting it apart from more exclusive classical music competitions in Seattle and Bellevue and allowing for a greater diversity of participants.

First place winners from the Junior and Senior Divisions will be awarded music scholarships for college and will perform live on the radio on Classical KING FM’s Northwest Focus LIVE program. Second and third place winners will receive a set of strings, an hour-long private lesson, and will be invited to perform at select Key to Change events. Our festival adjudicators are violinist Robert T. Murphy and cellist Jeremy Woolstenhulme, both respected string educators

Key to Change’s Solo String Festival is generously sponsored by Classical KING FM 98.1, the Live Music Project, 4Culture, and Seattle Chamber Music Society.

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 You’re invited!

Come enjoy an afternoon of classical music performed by Key to Change Executive Director and Founder Dr. Quinton Morris and talented guest musicians! He will be joined by cellist and Key to Change Board Vice President Keith Thomas, pianist and Key to Change accompanist Joseph Williams, and Seattle Symphony french horn player Danielle Kuhlmann.

The concert will feature musical works by Beethoven, Brahms, Glière, and Still.

All proceeds from this special benefit concert will go toward Key to Change student scholarships. We can’t wait to see you there!

Tickets are $15 general admission and free for students.

The concert takes place at 2pm on Saturday, February 23, at the IKEA Performing Arts Center. Reserve your tickets here.

Key to Change is proud to announce that we have been awarded grants from the Tulalip Tribes Council, Renton Arts Commission, Renton Regional Community Foundation Reeder Family Fund, and the MMS Giving Foundation. This generous funding will be used toward growing our studio and expanding our outreach to provide more opportunities for underserved students in South King County.

Key to Change is grateful for the support of these inspirational foundations. We share the same vision of strengthening our local communities, providing opportunities for our youth, and building a brighter future for the next generation. When we provide affordable access to to music and arts education, we help our youth cultivate critical skills that will serve them both within and beyond the classroom.

Thanks to the support of our community and organizations like the Tulalip Tribes Council, the Renton Arts Commission, and the MMS Giving Foundation, we are able to provide affordable violin and viola lessons, performance opportunities, master classes, leadership development, and more to underserved students in our region. Together, we empower the next generation through music.

For more information, please email info@keytochangestudio.org.

Allied Arts Foundation Awards Two-Year Grant to Key to Change

January 22, 2019

Key to Change is thrilled to be the recipient of a two-year grant from the Allied Arts Foundation. This $4,000 grant will be used toward repairs and accessories for our Instrument Library of over 30 violins and violas. Providing free access to high-quality instruments is one of the key ways we remove financial barriers to studying classical music in South King County.

Since the 1950s, the Allied Arts Foundation has enlivened the cultural vitality of the Seattle area through arts funding.and sponsorship. Key to Change shares this same vision of empowering the broader community through affordable access to music education and performance.

“Allied Arts Foundation is proud to partner with Key to Change to provide opportunities for these talented students, many of whom reside in underserved areas. Far more than mere instruction, Key to Change’s winning format of exceptional music training as a conduit for instilling leadership skills and self-confidence is an outstanding model of community empowerment through the arts.”

– Llewelyn G. Pritchard, Allied Arts Foundation President

Thanks to the support of our community and organizations like the Allied Arts Foundation, we are able to provide violin and viola lessons, scholarships, instruments, performance opportunities, and more to underserved students in our region. Together, we empower the next generation through music.

For more information, please email at info@keytochangestudio.org.

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Key to Change is honored to have been awarded a $10,000 capacity-building grant from the Charlotte Martin Foundation. This funding will be used toward scholarships for students in need, as well as a studio accompanist, sheet music, and instrument supplies.

Based in Seattle, the Charlotte Martin Foundation works to create opportunities for underserved youth to explore their passions and grow into well-rounded individuals through arts, athletics, and education. Key to Change shares this same vision of increasing access to music and arts education in our region and helping our youth cultivate critical skills that will serve them both within and beyond the classroom.

“The Charlotte Martin Foundation’s engagement with Key to Change will improve youth access to world-class music instruction, making this partnership vital to the success of music students in South King County.”

– Micaela Pearson, Key to Change Board President

Thanks to the support of our community and organizations like the Charlotte Martin Foundation, we are able to provide affordable violin and viola lessons, performance opportunities, master classes, leadership development, and more to underserved students in our region. Together, we empower the next generation through music.

For more information, please email info@keytochangestudio.org.

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We are thrilled to announce that Community 4Culture has awarded Key to Change a $10,000 capacity-building grant. This funding will be used to expand our violin studio, serve more students, and grow our impact in our community.

Community 4Culture works to address inequities in arts and cultural funding across King County’s diverse population. Key to Change shares the same vision of increasing access to music and arts education in under-resourced communities. We are honored to have the support of Community 4Culture as we continue serving the population in South King County.

As part of this ongoing mission, Key to Change established our own Instrument Library earlier this summer with grant support from the Classics for Kids Foundation and the D’Addario Foundation. Providing free instruments for our students is a critical way in which Key to Change makes classical music instruction affordable and accessible to a broad range of students in our region.

“Classics for Kids Foundation is delighted to support Key to Change with a matching grant to support their need for beautiful new instruments for their students. Their support for young musicians in the Seattle area is inspiring, and our hope is that the offer of matching funds will further inspire local philanthropy in helping these wonderful young people to thrive.”

–  Michael Reynolds, Executive Director, Classics for Kids Foundation

To date, Key to Change has cultivated an instrument library of over 25 violins and violas through a combination of grant awards and community donations. Click here to learn more about our Instrument Library.

For more information, please email at info@keytochangestudio.org.