If music is the thing that toots your horn, then listen up: The MERIT Music Program is having auditions for its tuition-free conservatory on Sept. 12. MERIT, or Music Education Reaching Instrumental Talents, is a nationally recognized organization offering Chicago-area kids some of the best musical training around. It is so choice that world-class musicians such as Ramsey Lewis and Yo-Yo Ma show their support on the National Advisory Board.
The unique program brings together kids from different races and backgrounds for its Saturday sessions in the basement of Dearborn Station (47 Polk St.) during the school year. You’ll get both classical and jazz training with small-group lessons, music-theory classes and large-ensemble rehearsals from teachers who have oodles of expertise and experience.
But the MERIT experience is about more than just music – it’s an opportunity for personal and educational growth too. And even though that sounds kinda cheesy, studies have shown that kids who are music buffs do better in school and have more fulfilling lives in general.
So if you’re a music lover age 9-18, you can audition for MERIT as long as you have at least one year of experience with your instrument. Call 312-786-9428 for an audition appointment ASAP! (The auditions are at Dearborn Station.)
And if your repertoire doesn’t extend past “Chopsticks,” MERIT offers a Preparatory Program for beginners that gives you the necessary training to enter the conservatory. Call the number listed above for more information.
Go ahead, discover the MERIT of being musical!
