For 25 years, Garfield Park Field House visitors have enjoyed the sweet sounds of music thanks to the Chicago West Community Music Center. CWCMC has uplifted Garfield Park, the West Side, and the greater Chicago area through music and the arts. Partnering with After School Matters through their Business of Music program, CWCMC has inspired thousands of teens to discover and develop their talents as musicians, singers, and artists. This is just one of nearly 200 community-based organizations we partner with each year, supporting their efforts to bring meaningful opportunities to teens in their communities.
Howard Sandifer, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chicago West Community Music Center, created CWCMC to provide music instruction and performances to help reduce the music-related achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and their more advantaged peers. The organization also provides scholarships for higher educational learning, fosters a West Side community orchestra, supports local talent, and puts Chicago’s West Side on the map as having a music conservatory for anyone interested in learning to play music. Sandifer and CWCMC have inspired young musicians and transformed lives for decades. We’re honored to collaborate with them to help teens find their passion for music.
“We’ve partnered with After School Matters for nearly two decades now and it’s been a wonderful collaboration that has given many young people opportunities to develop their musical talent and thrive,” shared Sandifer.
Partnerships with community-based organizations like CWCMC are essential to our mission to serve young people. These collaborations allow us to support organizations already deeply connected to and serving their communities. In turn, teens benefit from participating in programs in their neighborhoods. These programs are led by experienced professionals who serve as mentors and role models like Sandifer. In 2023, we invested nearly $20 million back into Chicago communities through teen stipends, instructor pay, and partnerships like these.
“My program has helped me overcome my stage fright and become a better singer and performer,” shared Ricaiah R., ASM teen in the Chicago West Community Music Center Business of Music program.
We celebrate this partnership and the incredible work of organizations like CWCMC. Collaborating with these organizations strengthens our mission to serve teens, creates more opportunities for young people, and builds a brighter future for our city.
