Service, Leadership, Artistry, and Mentorship (SLAM)
SCHUBERT STRING QUARTET
Performed by SLAM String Quartet at Performapaloozathon 2023
Our Service, Leadership, Artistry, and Mentorship program (SLAM) was launched in 2016 to give advanced, older students the opportunity to build on their skills of discipline, teamwork, critical thinking and self-assurance and apply them as they face new challenges.
Students participate in chamber music groups, complete required service hours for high school and mentor younger TPMS students. They also receive guidance from adult mentors and staff as they transition from students to alumni and prepare for bright futures ahead.
Are you a current TPMS student interested in joining SLAM?
Click below to apply and learn more!
SLAM STUDENTS PERFORM WITH WILCO’s JEFF TWEEDY
SLAM JAZZ ENSEMBLE – SAINT JAMES INFIRMARY
STUDENT MENTORS
SLAM meets for five hours every Saturday and eligible students participate in the program in addition to their regular curriculum requirements. In the program, students can obtain required service hours for high school through volunteering, grow as leaders through the unique challenges of chamber music, and mentor a younger TPMS student.
SUMMER AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
Our Summer Ambassador program provides students with the chance to travel the world as members of renowned music festivals. We guide students through the application process and award them with scholarships each year. Our Summer Ambassadors agree to set a positive example as TPMS representatives and share what they learned through their experience abroad. Students have attended programs including Interlochen, Berklee Aspire: Five-Week, YOLA National Festival, Carnegie Hall’s NYO2, Birch Creek, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and many more.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN SLAM?
Our Service Leadership and Mentorship program is specially designed for advanced students ages 13-18 years old. The program takes older students to the next level and provides younger ones with a goal to aspire towards. Eligible students are accepted to the program based on their jury scores, curriculum level, and teacher recommendation.
REGISTER FOR THE PEOPLE'S MUSIC SCHOOL
Interested in taking lessons at The People’s Music School? Click here to fill out an interest form. Registration occurs each spring and summer.
The People’s Music School offers high quality, tuition-free music education to school aged children in Chicago who would otherwise not be able to afford it. Based on a student’s age, we offer classes in general music, instrumental studies, music theory, and a variety of ensembles.
ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION
The People’s Music School (TPMS), a 501(c) (3), is Chicago’s oldest and largest 100% tuition-free music school. We envision a society where all children have access to the unique social, emotional, and intellectual benefits achieved through musical excellence.
We believe music is transformative and empowers the lives of youth, families and communities.
Dr. Rita Simó, a Juilliard-trained classical pianist, was inspired by the free music education she received as a child in the Dominican Republic. Her dream became a reality in 1976, when she opened the doors of The People’s Music School in a vacant storefront in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago.
Today, TPMS has expanded to serve over 800 students from 55 ZIP codes across the Chicago metropolitan area.