Third Street Music School

As the nation’s longest-running community music school, Third Street has been transforming lives through the arts for 130 years. In 1894, Third Street was founded by Emilie Wagner, an arts education pioneer who made music education the cornerstone of a settlement house that welcomed immigrants to NYC and provided families with housing support, food, and medical care alongside arts enrichment. Today, Third Street is committed to leveraging arts education to empower youth to reach their fullest potential and unite the diverse communities of NYC. Third Street serves 5,000+ students annually, enriching their lives and communities.

Since the 1970s, Third Street has worked with local public schools to provide music instruction to their students, thereby becoming one of the first in the nation to initiate such partnerships. Today, Third Street collaborates with 35 public schools and community centers across NYC. The goal of these partnerships is simple: to change the lives of students for the better through music and dance.

Our Commitment to diversity embraces a collegial Third Street community in which faculty and staff of every racial identity feel a sense of belonging and feel supported and valued in their work.