Musical Instrument Learning for Kids (MILK)

What is MILK? MILK is a pseudo-cool acronym for a very important community focused New York State not-for-profit incorporated organization whose goal is to enrich kids’ lives by providing musical scholarships to fund musical instruction in the neighborhoods in which the kids live and to purchase instruments and sheet music. 100% of the contributions we receive are given to the end users and 0% of contributions is spent on administrative costs. We rely solely on volunteers to fulfill our mission. Why? Musical programs in our inner-city public schools have been the victim to draconian budgetary cuts. Extensive research has proven that learning to play a musical instrument benefits the brain more so than participating in any other segment of the arts. And while we can’t single-handily fix this problem we can begin making a positive impact by helping some underprivileged kids. Please take a few minutes to watch the below short video about "How Playing an Instrument Benefits the Brain." How? We host annual competitions that inner-city kids whose parents or legal guardians can demonstrate financial need, may compete for the scholarships by demonstrating a passion for music. The kids either perform or write and read out loud an essay before our scholarship award selection panel primarily composed of distinguished professional musicians.