The Practice-A-Thon Comes to a Celebratory Close

Guest article by Emely Duraes, K2S high school volunteer

Recently, this year's Practice-A-Thon, which began in April, has come to a celebratory close. While 2021 was the second year that Keys 2 Success has hosted a Practice-A-Thon, with the help of inspired volunteers, they were able to raise over $8,000 which will pay for this summer’s Piano Bus program, bringing in-person lessons to students in 5 different locations in Newark. By participating in the Practice-A-Thon, participants of any skill level could submit short 15 minute videos of their practices or performances in a stress-free environment. Whether they were playing the piano, violin, or sang, every participant got the opportunity to share their music with the world.

There were many contributors who helped spread the word about the Practice-A-Thon, one of which was Kimberly Burja, a band teacher, who was able to involve the entire Tenafly School District to the Practice-A-Thon. Over the course of three months the Tenafly School district students shared their spectacular jazz band, orchestra, and solo performances with Keys 2 Success and by the end of the fundraiser they were able to collectively raise over $1,400.

Another instrumental contributor to the fundraiser was Amanda Harberg. Harberg is a composer, piano teacher and mother to Sydney Fink, who participated in this year's Practice-A-Thon and she has been a volunteer at Keys 2 Success since February 2021. While this was Harberg’s first time contributing to the Practice-A-Thon, she had been following Keys 2 Success through Facebook for a long time. She stated, “I think it is an important organization. Bringing music education to students in Newark who may otherwise not have it is something that I believe in.” Through the use of Facebook and reaching out to close contacts and students, she found “People, generally, loved the idea of the fundraiser and that was nice to see. It raised awareness, even in those who didn't participate.”

Finally Wesley Liu, a rising Junior who first came to know about Keys 2 Success, through the Practice-A-Thon last year, and volunteered to lead the entire fundraiser this year. “I learned a lot about how I view the world and the people around me because Keys 2 success isn’t only about fundraising, it's about raising awareness about racial issues and learning to confront them.”

The Practice-A-Thon was an enriching learning experience for all the participants involved with raising awareness and money for the students at Keys 2 Success. The Practice-A-Thon also allows its participants to spread the joy of their music with others, no matter how musically advanced they are in a non-competitive environment. Overall, while the Practice-A-Thon is a relatively new fundraiser, it is growing and becoming more accessible and instrumental towards providing quality music education.

Emely Duraes is an aspiring educator and a rising junior at UCTech. She joined the staff of Keys 2 Success in 2021 through the Penpal program and is currently one of the main high school writers and volunteers in the Fundraising Committee. Although Emely doesn’t live in Newark she has been connected to Newark her whole life. She believes that music is a powerful tool that connects communities and that every child deserves to have accessible music education in their lives regardless of their race or socioeconomic standing.