Chicago West Community Music Center

The Chicago West Community Music Center was established in 1999 to provide arts education and training for students in early elementary school through high school on Chicago’s west side and in the western suburbs. Chicago West teaches music lessons, music theory, improvisation, and the business aspects of music from its base at the Golden Dome Field House in Garfield Park. It conducts outreach through Chicago Public schools, reaching approximately 900 students each year.

With this International Connections Fund award, Chicago West participates in a musical cultural exchange with an organization that specializes in providing musical instruction to the local community in Shanghai, China. Participants from Chicago teach Chinese musicians about the music of Chicago, including Blues, Jazz, and Gospel, while the Chinese students teach Chicagoans the traditional music of Shanghai. Both organizations offer music lessons to youth from low-income families. By including children from Chicago’s underserved neighborhoods, this cultural exchange will also expose Chicago youth to Shanghai’s rich culture. This is Chicago West’s first International Connections Fund award.