The People's Music School

Community Night at Grant Park Music Festival
2024-07-19 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Pritzker Pavilion, 201 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL, 60601
Join us Friday, July 19, 2024 at 6:30pm! TPMS will be holding an informal community night at Grant Park Music Festival to enjoy some summer music together. All families are welcome to join us on the lawn at Pritzker Pavilion as we enjoy a program of music by John Williams, including Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, and more. Bring a picnic and something to sit on on the lawn. When you arrive at the lawn, look for a People’s sign and people in TPMS T-shirts. Click here to view program.

Jam (is in) Session!
2024-08-28 18:00 - 19:30 | Uptown Academy, 931 W EASTWOOD AVE, CHICAGO, IL, 60640, United States
RSVP: development@peoplesmusicschool.org

Nels Cline's Night of the Guitarists: A Benefit for The People's Music School
2024-09-07 20:30 | Constellation Chicago, 3111 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL, 60618, United States
Experience extraordinary guitarists Nels Cline, James Elkington, Steve Marquette, and Bob Palmieri and support The People’s Music School at Constellation Chicago!
Saturday, September 7
Doors: 8:00PM | Show: 8:30PM
Tickets $20 | Buy Tickets Here
All proceeds benefit The People’s Music School.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Nels Cline is an American guitarist and composer who has been a guitarist for the band Wilco since 2004. He has been recognized by Rolling Stone as one of the “new guitar gods” and among the top 100 guitarists of all time.
James Elkington is an English guitarist and singer based in Chicago who has worked with Richard Thompson, Steve Gunn, Nathan Salsburg, and Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. His sound is influenced by ’60s and ’70s British folk and prog rock.
Steve Marquette is a guitarist, improviser and organizer based out of Chicago. Over the past decade he has become an integral part of the city’s storied and vibrant improvised music community touring the United States and Europe in ensembles of his own.
Bob Palmieri is a jazz guitarist and music educator who teaches at DePaul University. His wide-ranging musical career has included work with Ray Charles, Nancy Wilson, Lyle Mays, Dana Hall, and more.

Benefitting TPMS: Brendan & Jake's 22nd Annual Holiday Show
2024-12-07 20:00 - 22:00 | Park West, 322 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL, 60614, United States
Brendan & Jake of Umphrey’s McGee host this annual holiday show benefitting TPMS! Featuring Andy Farag, with special guests Aron Magner of the Disco Biscuits, Mike Racky and more.
Get tickets here

Winter Spectacular
2024-12-15 10:00 - 15:30 | The Riviera Theater, 4746 N Racine Ave, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Morning Concert: 10am – 11:30am
Afternoon Concert: 2pm – 3:30pm
The two-part concert with students from our Uptown Academy and SLAM programs will feature a wide range of musical performances, from jazz standards and string ensembles, to holiday tunes and choral pieces. The event is free and open to the public. No registration is required.
Thank you to our official media partner 97.1 The Drive!

Greater South Side Winter Concert
2024-12-16 18:00 - 19:30 | Wendell Phillips Academy High School, 244 E Pershing Rd, Chicago, IL, 60653, United States

Back of The Yards Winter Concert
2024-12-18 18:00 - 19:30 | Lara Elementary, 4637 S Wolcott Ave, Chicago, IL, 60609, United States

Albany Park Winter Concert
2024-12-19 18:00 - 19:30, 2025-12-17 18:00 - 19:30 | Hibbard Elementary, 3244 W Ainslie St, Chicago, IL, 60625, United States

Benefitting TPMS: A Songwriter's Christmas with Jay Bragg
2024-12-21 20:00 - 22:00 | Uncommon Ground, 3800 N Clark St., Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
This year, benefitting The People’s Music School!
Get tickets here
ABOUT A SONGWRITER’S CHRISTMAS
A Songwriter’s Christmas – the popular annual Nashville holiday tradition – now brings the show on the road to select US cities throughout December. Founded and headlined by acclaimed American Roots songwriter, music director and bona fide Christmas Connoisseur Jay Bragg, A Songwriter’s Christmas features new and original holiday music as well as fresh takes of the classics we all know and love performed by some of Nashville’s finest musicians and songwriters.
Presented by the philanthropic Gift of Music Project, a portion of proceeds will be allocated to aiding in music education for disadvantaged communities.
ABOUT JAY BRAGG
American Roots artist Jay Bragg has been on stage performing music his entire life. Raised in New England and based out of Nashville since 2015, Jay is a 3rd generation singer-songwriter and entertainer who played his first show at age 5 and, throughout his 20-year career in music, has written hundreds of songs, recorded 13 albums with his various projects and performed well over 3600 live shows all across America, including concerts with legendary acts like Alan Jackson, Chris Stapleton and Lake Street Dive.
Though having considerable success in country music including winner of New England Music Awards ‘Country Act Of The Year’ in 2015 with his Maine-based act North of Nashville and multiple tours with Alan Jackson, Jay’s music draws on a deeper well of the American roots music he was raised on growing up in a family of musicians dating back to the early 1900s. Elements of the blues, folk, bluegrass and jazz are distinct flavors in the rich gumbo that is the music of Jay Bragg.
With a commitment to harnessing the power of music for public service and a passion for the music of the Christmas season, Jay founded A Songwriter’s Christmas in 2020 – a concert series with the mission of platforming modern-day holiday music – which he specializes in – while aiding in music education for disadvantaged communities through his Gift of Music Project philanthropic fund. In addition, Jay also volunteers weekly as a musical companion for hospice patents, maintaining a family tradition of performing music for senior citizens.

UA/SLAM Recital: Vanessa Lopez's Flute Students
2025-02-07 19:00 - 20:00 | Uptown Academy, 931 W EASTWOOD AVE, CHICAGO, IL, 60640, United States

Big Night: Crescendo!
2025-02-21 18:00 - 22:00 | The Geraghty, 2520 S Hoyne Ave, Chicago, IL, 60608, United States
Big Night: Crescendo!
Honoring Michael Buck
Friday, February 21, 2025
6pm – 10pm
The Geraghty
2520 S Hoyne Ave
Chicago, IL 60608
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About Our Honoree

The People’s Music School is proud to be honoring Michael Buck at Big Night 2025.
Michael Buck has been a devoted supporter of the organization since 2011 and is a Lifetime Trustee. His dedicated Board service spans nearly a decade, and he currently heads the Program Committee. Over the years, Mr. Buck has served as a mentor to students and as a volunteer cello instructor at the Albany Park program.
Mr. Buck is a portfolio manager at Driehaus Capital Management on the US Growth Equities Team with a focus on the consumer discretionary, consumer staples and financials sectors. Mr. Buck began his career at Deloitte Consulting, LLC as a business analyst until he joined Driehaus Capital Management in 2002. He received his B.A. and B.M. in economics and cello performance from Northwestern University in 2000. Mr. Buck is also co-founder and President of Ovation Press, Ltd., a publisher of sheet music and books for string players.

UA/SLAM Recital: Ross Palfrey's Guitar Students
2025-02-28 19:00 - 20:00 | Uptown Academy, 931 W EASTWOOD AVE, CHICAGO, IL, 60640, United States

UA/SLAM Recital: Josef Fischer's Violin & Viola Students
2025-03-01 16:30 - 17:30 | Uptown Academy, 931 W EASTWOOD AVE, CHICAGO, IL, 60640, United States

UA/SLAM Recital: Violin/Viola Students of Anna Carlson and Jonathan Hodges
2025-03-07 19:00 - 20:00 | Uptown Academy, 931 W EASTWOOD AVE, CHICAGO, IL, 60640, United States

UA/SLAM Recital: Percussion Students of Simon Gomez and Adam Shohet
2025-03-14 19:00 - 20:00 | Uptown Academy, 931 W EASTWOOD AVE, CHICAGO, IL, 60640, United States

UA/SLAM Recital: Raquel Coleman's Harp Students and Fabricio Sotomayor's Guitar Students
2025-03-15 16:30 - 17:30 | Uptown Academy, 931 W EASTWOOD AVE, CHICAGO, IL, 60640, United States

Performapaloozathon
2025-05-31 10:00 - 16:00 | Gary Comer Youth Center, 7200 S Ingleside Ave, Chicago, IL, 60619, United States

TPMS Associate Board Play It Forward Fundraiser
2025-09-19 17:00 - 19:30 | Carol’s Pub, 4659 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Enjoy a night of food, drinks, live music, games, and fun – all supporting high-quality, tuition-free music education! Get tickets here.

The Associate Board—a group of young professionals who support our mission through advocacy, volunteering, and fundraising—is hosting its annual signature event on Friday, September 19, 2025, from 5:00–7:30pm at Carol’s Pub in Uptown. Guests will enjoy food, drinks, live music, games, and prize drawings—all in support of tuition-free music education for low-income students across Chicago.

The People’s Music School is Chicago’s largest and oldest completely tuition-free music school, providing intensive after-school music instruction to over 800 K–12 students in historically underserved communities. We believe in the transformative power of music to uplift youth, families, and entire communities.

Uptown Academy Open Mic Night
2025-09-26 18:30 - 19:30 | Uptown Academy, 931 W EASTWOOD AVE, CHICAGO, IL, 60640, United States

Open Mic Night at Uptown Academy
2025-10-24 18:30 - 19:30, 2025-11-14 18:30 - 19:30 | Uptown Academy, 931 W EASTWOOD AVE, CHICAGO, IL, 60640, United States

Uptown Winter Concert
2025-12-14 12:00 - 17:30 | The Riviera Theater, 4746 N Racine Ave, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States

Back of the Yards & Greater South Side Winter Concert
2025-12-16 17:30 - 20:30 | Gary Comer Youth Center, 7200 S Ingleside Ave, Chicago, IL, 60619, United States

Big Night: 50 Years of Daring To Play
2026-02-27 18:00 - 22:00 | The Geraghty, 2520 S Hoyne Ave, Chicago, IL, 60608, United States
Save the Date for Big Night 2026!
Friday, February 27, 2026
6pm – 10pm
The Geraghty
Event details coming soon!
