Dr. Rita Simó, a Juilliard-trained classical pianist, was inspired by the free music education she received as a child in the Dominican Republic. She dreamt of having her own place to teach and convey the joy of learning music to others. Her belief was that all children should have access to music education, regardless of their family’s socioeconomic status.
Rita’s dream became a reality on February 22, 1976 when she opened the doors of The People’s Music School in a vacant storefront in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, with only $625 and a piano donated by St. Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Church. Rita placed a sign in the window that said FREE MUSIC LESSONS and a handful of students began to trickle in.
Rita was quoted as saying. “What we are doing is letting students discover their self-worth through their love of music.” In 1995, Dr. Simó and the school directors erected the building currently housing the school at 931 W. Eastwood Avenue, still in the culturally diverse Uptown neighborhood where it first began.
On September 22, 2020, we lost our fierce and fearless founder Dr. Rita Simó. Rita passed away in her home in Uptown with her husband Tomás by her side. Read our tribute to Rita.