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Meet Regina Nixon of Phoenix Conservatory of Music in North Phoenix

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Regina Nixon.

Regina, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started with Phoenix Conservatory of Music in 1999, as a 6 hour a week intern. I answered phones and filed. I moved up to Music Education intern, classroom Music Teacher, Outreach Coordinator and teaching artist. In December 2004, our founder, Bonnie Lou Coleman retired. She handed the organization over to me. It was a crazy learning experience, and I made wrong turns along the way. But at the forefront was always the mission, the work we were doing, and the children and families we were serving.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been the roughest ride of my life. Nothing smooth about the journey. Just as I was getting my footing as an Executive Director, the recession hit and hit hard. Not only were earned income opportunities dwindling as people’s disposable income for extras like music lessons but our contributed income took a huge hit. It was everything we could do to keep the doors open. But, the need was larger than ever.

That’s when Berklee College of Music’s City Music Network approached us (2010) and we applied to be a Network member. Through a very competitive process, we were accepted as a full member, and it was a great brand to be associated with. It breathed new life into our organization, refreshed our mission, and we leveraged the partnership to make us relevant in the community.

Since that time, we have grown tremendously and this past November, our program was awarded the nation’s top honor for out of school creative youth development programs. The road is still never smooth. There is always a lack of resources, and the need for children to have something bigger than themselves to be a part of is more important than ever. But what we do is important, and I am an incredibly mission driven person who is dedicated to making my community a better place by unleashing the power of music in young people’s lives.

Phoenix Conservatory of Music – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Phoenix Conservatory of Music provides a continuum of high quality music education and experiences to hundreds of students annually, with programs ranging from introductory level in-house education programs and after school programs to more advanced private lessons and the most prestigious College Prep Program for contemporary music education in the state: The Berklee College of Music’s City Music Network and P.U.L.S.E. programs. They are a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide quality music education that is affordable and accessible. They receive contributed income to make sure that all students have access to music education, regardless of their socio-economic status and were granted status as a Qualifying Charitable Organization for the Arizona State Tax Credit. Since the inception of PCM’s College Prep Program in 2010, the program is providing a pathway for students to achieve their dreams- one note at a time. With 3-10 hours per week of low to no cost engagement, the organization provides students 4-12 grades with private music lessons, music theory classes, enrichment classes and Popular Music Ensembles. They have a 95% graduation rate (compared to an 86% in the local community and a 77% in the state), 71% go on to college or university, 43% of those students are studying music or music related fields, and they have earned more than $1 Million Dollars in Scholarship Offers.

The Phoenix Conservatory of Music’s College Prep Program is the Conservatory’s flagship program. The College Prep Program has been in operation since a partnership began with Berklee College of Music’s City Music Network in 2010. It is an out of school time program drawing students from all over Maricopa County that takes place 30+ weeks throughout the year. The College Prep Program’s goals are to have seniors successfully graduate from high school and develop a plan for their post high school education with some placement in academic and/or music programs in colleges and universities with scholarship dollars earned, advance our student population in their skill set acquisition through a critical pipeline in music learning, and earn scholarships and admission to summer intensives. Students are given a minimum of 3 hours of music instruction per week for 30+ weeks of the school year totaling 130 hours. The core program offers music theory, ensemble programs and enrichment (starting with percussion, sight singing and piano for younger students, and growing into songwriting, audio production, music business and audition and interview preparation for high school students). In addition, students can opt into private music lessons and multiple ensembles. Our students are at PCM, taking advantage of learning opportunities for 5-10 hours per week.

PCM’s College Prep Program serves on average 110 students per year. In the last seven years, this program has had a 95% high school graduation rate (compared to 86% in our local community), 71% go to college or university, 43% study music or music related fields, and they have cumulatively earned over $1M in scholarship offers.
“I am so thankful for the amazing teachers and lessons I have received. I would never have been able to overcome my fear of stage performance and enhance my talent. Music means so much to me because it has been my oasis in times of stress and need… the opportunity to learn who I am and what I am capable of offering the world.” Jo-el Banini.

“I’ve been involved since I was seven or eight. Ever since then, I’ve been building my skills.” Will Kratzenberg, a sophomore in High School and PCM student says. “[I started with piano and then went to audio production.] I had no place to go for sound production or learn how to build or reconstruct sound. PCM showed me how to work inside sound production DAWs and how to mix and even create my own songs. At first, I thought it wouldn’t be all that great…all these people doing what I’m doing. If anything, that is the key to learning- learning what people are doing around you, learning from them and taking some of their knowledge into your own. I feel a sense of family here. Coming here is an escape and you can really improve your skills being here and learning with your family. [As a family] we are being able to build what we’ve been trying to build for a very long time. [As an organization], we finally made it up there, and after all these years …it’s finally paying off.”

And this is the absolute truth. This has been an incredible year for Phoenix Conservatory of Music, a Phoenix based nonprofit community school of music with a very big reach.

In January of 2017, Phoenix Conservatory of Music moved into new, larger, more appropriate space inside Metrocenter Mall. In October, PCM was honored with a Mayor’s Arts Award. In November, at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C. the nation’s top cultural agencies honored the best Creative Youth Development programs from over 350 nominations from across the country for their work in providing excellent arts and humanities learning opportunities to young people. Three of Phoenix’s own students had the honor of traveling to our Nation’s Capital to The Phoenix Conservatory of Music as it was recognized with a 2017 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. The award was presented by The National Endowment for the Arts and their partners.

What is the secret sauce that allows all of this to happen? “All three of my children take lessons here…take ensembles and have enrichment classes”, Says Michael Gleba Sr., “My children [are] just having their horizons expanded and the opportunities and options for them as they grow up are just more than they could possibly think. There are scholarships available and it makes it so much easier with the support the conservatory gives…is just something you don’t see a lot. Being here for several years, knowing all of the hard work that the staff and teachers provide, it makes me proud to see the organization be recognized because it takes so many people to make this work”.

Because of the tireless work dedicated to making sure that there are no barriers to serving those students in need, with over 50% of its budget going towards the 62% of its population in need, the Phoenix Conservatory of Music was awarded status as an Arizona State Qualifying Tax Credit Charitable Organization. This is a fantastic benefit for both the student and the donor. The state of Arizona offers its taxpayers the opportunity to make contributions to schools and non-profit organizations that reduce the amount of tax owed to the state or increase the amount of the taxpayer’s refund, dollar-for-dollar. There is NO NET COST to the donor, and deserving individuals around the state benefit. Married Couples can give up to $800 and single filers can give up to $400. Donors just need to make sure to fill out FORM 321 when preparing your taxes to ensure the gift is credited back.

PCM is creating a rallying point for our community, to say that they care that these young people are getting the training and care that they need in a supportive and safe environment. The students are getting opportunities to enhance their education with opportunities and experiences that would otherwise not always be available to them, they have a safe place that creates opportunities for risky innovation, collaboration, and social interaction. This in turn creates a stronger, healthier community and the outcomes are fantastic.

Facts about Phoenix Conservatory of Music:
• The Phoenix Conservatory of Music (PCM) was founded in 1998.

  • It provides a continuum of high quality music education and experiences to hundreds of students annually, with programs ranging from introductory level in-house education programs and after school programs to more advanced private lessons and the most prestigious college prep programs for contemporary music education in the state: The Berklee College of Music’s City Music Network and P.U.L.S.E. programs.
  • The Phoenix Conservatory of Music’s mission is to unleash the power of music by providing high quality music education and experiences to students and families that is affordable and accessible. We fill our mission by providing community education programs and classes, after school programs for at risk populations, private music lessons, ensembles and a unique college preparatory program in affiliation with the Berklee City Music Network.
  • Our College Preparatory Program is our flagship program that has been in operation since our partnership began with Berklee College of Music.
  • It is an out of school time program drawing students from all over Maricopa County, Arizona that takes place 30+ weeks throughout the year.
  • The core program offers music theory, ensemble programs and enrichment (starting with percussion, sight singing and piano for younger students, and growing into songwriting, audio production, music business and audition and interview preparation for high school students).
  • In addition to that, students can opt into private music lessons and multiple ensembles. 40% of our students are at PCM, taking advantage of learning opportunities for 5-10 hours per week.
  • The College Prep Program’s goals are to have seniors successfully graduate from high school and develop a plan for their post high school education with some placement in academic and/or music programs in colleges and universities with scholarship dollars earned, advance our student population in their skill set acquisition through a critical pipeline in music learning, and earn scholarships and admission to summer intensives.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
It would be easy to say the 2017 National Arts and Humanities Award, but it’s really when I see the kids being good to each other and enjoying making music with each other. Connecting in a real and true way that lets them know they are not alone on their journey. That makes all the difference with a young person.

Pricing:

  • You can take group classes for as little as $13 a week.
  • One one one private music lessons start at $100 per month.
  • The College Prep Program is $65 per month.

Contact Info:

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Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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