Help Us Hire a Music Teacher for 150 Kids in Nicaragua

In the summer of 2024, I traveled to Tipitapa, Nicaragua on a medical mission trip. Tipitapa is widely considered one of the poorest communities in Central America, where public school exists but remains out of reach for many families. During the visit, we played a short concert for students at a school founded and run by missionaries from Korea. What stood out to me was how closely the students watched and listened, even though they had no music classes.

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Then I began to notice the musical instruments throughout the school — guitars, violins, violas, cellos, clarinets, and keyboards, donated by visiting volunteers over the years. Some were ready to play, others needed minor repairs. The students had instruments right in front of them, but no one to teach them how to play.

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As someone who trained at Juilliard Pre-College, I knew exactly what was missing. Without a teacher, those instruments would just keep sitting there. That afternoon, I made a commitment to myself: I would find these students a music teacher.

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For just $6,500 a year — less than $18 a day — 150 students in Tipitapa can have a music teacher in their school. They deserve the same chance that music gave me.

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They already have the instruments. Help us give them a teacher.