Ian Taylor

Play On Philly (POP) cultivates emotional, cognitive, and behavioral skills necessary for life by providing high quality music education to underserved children in Philadelphia. We believe that intensive music education is a vehicle to develop life-long academic and social skills. Many Philadelphia students do not have access to music education. Our mission is to provide tuition-free, intensive after-school music education to students who would not otherwise have access. POP does not ask students to audition, nor are they required to have any previous musical experience. Each of our students from K-12th grade are loaned at no cost one of fourteen instruments such as a harp, flute, clarinet, cello, and violin. Students will each receive approximately 500 hours of training and performance opportunities during the year. Because many of our students enter POP programming as many as 3 grade levels behind, a creative all-day summer camp is offered in July, in addition to school-year lessons, to protect the positive advancements they’ve gained through POP and prepare them for a successful return to school in the fall. Instruction is delivered by a talented corps of professional musicians and educators who realize their gifts can be a powerful force of change in the most vulnerable and marginalized populations throughout Philadelphia. The organization is led by a committed group of professionals and governed by a passionate Board of Directors who are eager to see the growth and sustainability of POP.