ABA & GLP | Innovation Field Notes
Buffalo String Works (BSW) is an after school music education program in Buffalo, NY, with a mission to provide a space for the inclusion and integration of Buffalo’s diverse student community. Their attention to their beneficiaries is innovative and unique, as evidenced by their student survey projects, attention to family heritage, and collaboration with local partners. In their own words, BSW provides “rigorous music instruction and a creative home for refugee, immigrant, and historically marginalized youth. We recognize the significance of music as a universal language, and by lifting up the voices of our students and parents, we cultivate youth to be agents of social change.”
A unique characteristic of BSW’s commitment to their mission is their practice of cultural integration. Involving students and families by taking their specific social, cultural, and musical backgrounds into consideration, the organization is crafted to the students, and not the other way around. In order to better serve their community, BSW intentionally collects, analyzes, and acts upon periodic and constructive feedback from families and students. From scheduling to repertoire, logistics to concert programming, BSW is a program directly tailored to the needs of its beneficiaries. BSW’s commitment to empowering youth is present in its student leadership program, an internal operation that pairs students as practice partners, hires student interns, and intentionally fosters the direction that will ensure the continuity of the program.
Beyond these internal practices, BSW is notable for the external connections and partnerships it has developed with other arts, social, and cultural institutions in the city of Buffalo. BSW students have numerous opportunities to perform in community events ranging from traditional cultural holidays to local benefit concerts. This provides them with unprecedented opportunities to invest into their communities and engage with the rich cultural heritage of Buffalo.
Learn more at www.buffalostringworks.org
Authored by GLP 2022 Cohort members
Emmanuel Padilla (Mexico), Gabriel Iscuissati (Brazil), Claire Ahern (Canada), and Grace Laminack (United States)
