Dear Friends & Family,

A year and a half ago, we were able to put instruments in the hands of 30 music students and send them to summer camp for free, by raising over $15,000 for Harmony Program in honor of my father, Michael Ingram. As many of you know my father was a brilliant music educator, performer and actor for many years and would have been overjoyed by the generosity shown to this cause in his memory. Music was also the bedrock of our relationship.

Since then, I’ve joined Harmony Program’s Associate Board, gotten to know their incredible staff, and most importantly - I’ve met the badass music teachers who deliver instruction through Harmony Program to underprivileged kids across NYC every day.

Harmony Program’s Teaching Artists are truly that: working performers and professional artists engaged in projects throughout the rich fabric of New York’s music and arts scene. They are an incredible asset and an inspiration. And your support gets them in the room with kids who need them, while also providing a steady source of teaching income that enables their many cultural contributions outside of Harmony Program.

The Harmony Program began at a single location serving 35 children. By the 2023-24 school year, the organization grew to 3,000 students at 21 sites in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, having reached nearly 10,000 young musicians since its founding.

Please join me in raising funds for Harmony Program this year - and let’s put the gift of music education in the hands of more kids.

Thank you,
Josh Ingram

For those interested, here is some background on just a few of Harmony Program’s staff including some of the incredible teaching artists I’ve gotten to know this year who make this possible:

Maggy Simon: Maggie is a professional cellist, songwriter, teacher and recording artist who performs regularly around NYC, and works 1-1 with Harmony Program students. Her passion is notable and it’s been inspiring to see her perform and perform with the kids who clearly look up to her. I also recently got to see Maggie perform her original compositions in Bushwick, Brooklyn. “I believe every student has the ability to reach the stars…and their goals! With me as your teacher, I will push you to your full artistic potential.”

Aron Frank: As a composer, performer and music educator Aron is immersed in New York City’s classical music scene and interdisciplinary mixed media arts. He was most recently an Artist-in-Residence at the Cite Internationale des arts in Paris and leads Harmony Program’s youth ensembles. Watching him lead dozens of kids is truly awe-inspiring - it’s no small feat to get kids of various levels, learning styles, and backgrounds to focus on the music but somehow Aron does it with skill, precision and patience. Amazing!

Oliver Barrett. Oliver leads the entire Teaching Artists program, and I’ve gotten to know him personally this year. His job is vital to keeping operations for Harmony Program going, engaging Teaching Artists and communicating with them, and matching Teaching Artists with the right opportunities and students. He’s also an accomplished trombonist and educator with over a decade of experience in teaching artistry, education technology, and instructional design hailing from Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard, and Stony Brook University.